City of Tacoma pauses search for new police chief. Here’s what we know
The city of Tacoma is pausing its search for a permanent police chief, months after former Tacoma Police Chief Avery Moore resigned.
City manager Elizabeth Pauli said in a statement Friday that she made the decision to ensure the “alignment of city leadership.” The search for a new police chief comes as Tacoma is on track to see widespread changes in leadership: Pauli is retiring in July after eight years on the job, Mayor Victoria Woodards’ term is coming to a close and four City Council positions are up for election this year.
The council decided to delay the search for a permanent city manager until after this year’s November election and recently promoted deputy city manager Hyun Kim to the interim role. Pauli said in her statement that pausing the recruitment process for a permanent police chief aligns “with the transition at the city manager level of the organization, and with consideration of other organizational transitions.”
“It is prudent to empower the city’s new leadership to play an integral role in confirming the appointment of a permanent police chief,” the statement reads. “This approach will help ensure the chosen leader fully aligns with the evolving vision and future priorities of our city government. “
Interim police chief Patti Jackson will continue to hold the position in the meantime. Her annual salary is $326,934, the same pay rate Moore received before he resigned.
Moore resigned in February after a three-year stint on the job, citing a desire to “transition into the next chapter of my life” in the wake of an investigation into his use of a city-issued phone while on a family vacation in Sweden. He left the city of Tacoma with $479,267.15, the equivalent of 16 months of his salary and the cost of paying 16 months of health coverage, and was recently hired as assistant city manager for the city of Topeka, Kansas.
