(Police on patrol at West Seattle Summer Fest)

Seattle Police Chief Kathleen O’Toole reiterated this afternoon that SPD officers are working “in pairs” until further notice, in the aftermath of the murders of five officers in Dallas. She and Mayor Ed Murray appeared this afternoon with community advocates to urge peace:

Shortly before that mid-afternoon event, she published an update on SPD Blotter. Here’s an excerpt:

… I have ordered our officers to carry out their duties in pairs. This will not prevent us from responding to calls for service, nor will it prevent us from safeguarding the lawful expression of 1st Amendment rights. We will work tirelessly to ensure that the conversations that must happen in response to recent events, happen without violence and with a shared commitment to justice for all. ….

The mayor published his own statement here.