Sue Rahr's plan to turn the Seattle Police Department around

New Seattle Police chief's plan to turn department around

New interim police chief Sue Rahr says she has a plan to fix the very broken Seattle Police Department.

SEATTLE - Time is ticking for Seattle's new interim police chief Sue Rahr, as she wants to get the department to do a full 180 within her six months in the corner office.

But even she acknowledged the difficult task at hand.

"I'm going to be here six months, so that's not a lot of time," Rahr said.

Aside from everyday police work, Rahr is dealing with bigger issues, like a department plagued with staffing levels at an all-time low.

"Making sure that we are functioning well in terms of our response to crime, to me, that overrides everything," Rahr said.

At full staff, there would be 1,300 Seattle Police officers. But with numbers at less than half, the chief will likely struggle to get bodies in uniforms.

"The focus really is on the system we have in place," she said.

One solution Rahr has in mind is to overhaul and streamline the recruiting process.

"We need to make it as easy as possible for as many people as possible to apply for the job. Because we want a large pool of candidates so we can be very picky on who gets hired," stated Rahr.

But with that comes another problem: the law enforcement profession has become a less attractive job, with more people taking their career choices elsewhere.

In Seattle, that decreased interest could be attributed to the past defund the police movement, a lack of public trust, and rising youth crime rates.

Rahr told FOX 13 she wants to repair that public distrust, along with the agency's morale.

"Cops want to work and they want to be successful," Rahr said. "The more we can demonstrate that Seattle is a place where you can be a police officer and be successful, that’s going to attract more people."

But with more crime being reported, there are questions about whether the new top cop can make a dent in crime statistics. Rahr was realistic in her answer, though.

"I am not going to drive the crime rate down. This is going to be a multifaceted effort by the police, by human services, by community members working together," she said.

As she replaces a former chief accused of sexual harassment and gender discrimination, Rahr says her focus won't be on the gossip of legal matters, but instead put the agency back to work.

"They’re excited to get past all the distractions that are going on and get back to work," she said.

Rahr has made it clear that she has no interest in holding the position beyond six months. SPD will need to find a replacement within that timeframe.