Officials are poised to promote interim Tacoma police chief to permanent post
City leaders appear poised to promote interim Tacoma Police Chief Patti Jackson to the permanent role.
Jackson has served as police chief in an interim capacity since March 2025 after former Tacoma chief Avery Moore left in the wake of an investigation into his use of a city-issued phone while on vacation. Jackson at the time said she was “here to stay” although former city manager Elizabeth Pauli in May announced she was delaying the search for a permanent police chief until new city leadership could play a role in identifying a police chief in 2026.
Jackson was hired at an annual salary of $326,934, according to previous reporting by The News Tribune.
Pauli retired in July, and the council appointed deputy city manager Hyun Kim to hold the job on an interim basis. Tacoma residents also voted to elect new City Council members for terms starting at the beginning of this year, although in most races voters elected incumbents – with the exception of now-Mayor Anders Ibsen and at-large council member Latasha Palmer.
With new city leadership in place, Jackson has been participating in “community events” to meet Tacoma residents and explain her vision and goals for the department. Jackson is “under consideration for a permanent appointment as police chief,” the city’s website states.
City spokesperson Maria Lee said Jackson will be participating in interviews for the role of permanent police chief starting the week of Jan. 19. Mayor Anders Ibsen spoke highly of Jackson’s leadership in a statement to The News Tribune.
“Besides her work to fully staff and modernize our department, Patti has changed the culture: officers feel supported and engaged,” Ibsen wrote. “She has earnestly reached out to people across the community, including many who are skeptical of law enforcement.”
Jackson declined to comment “out of respect for the ongoing process,” Lee told The News Tribune.
At a Jan. 12 community event, Jackson said she doesn’t practice “headline-driven leadership” and aims to be a proactive leader instead of a reactive one.
“After nearly four decades in law enforcement, I’ve learned that confusion helps no one,” she said. “I don’t believe in guessing games. When expectations are clear and a line is the same for everyone, people make better decisions and the work is safer and more professional.”
“When we take care of our officers, they are better positioned to take care of our community,” she added.
Jackson highlighted the work she did to implement a lateral incentive program to combat under-staffing at the Tacoma Police Department. The program offered qualified officers in the area $50,000 hiring bonuses if they joined the department.
She also addressed federal immigration enforcement after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent last week shot and killed a woman in Minneapolis. Jackson said Tacoma police officers don’t enforce federal immigration law and said officers address violence or criminal conduct based on “behavior, not immigration status.”
“People need to know that they can call 911, report crime, and interact with police without fear,” she said.
Jackson came to the Tacoma Police Department with a background in law enforcement in and around Pierce County. She most recently led the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office’s Patrol Operations and before that oversaw operations at the Pierce County Jail. While at the Corrections Bureau, the Corrections Bureau’s guild held a vote of no confidence in Jackson, largely citing deputies’ lack of training. Jackson also ran for Pierce County sheriff but lost to now-sheriff Keith Swank.
This story was originally published January 16, 2026 at 12:34 PM.
