1:08 PM: Mayor Harrell is speaking at City Hall and just announced that Adrian Diaz will become the permanent chief of SPD. He was one of three finalists for the job, as announced two weeks ago, and has been interim chief for two years. … Crime and gun violence, accountability, department culture, safe neighborhoods are what Harrell says he wants Chief Diaz to focus on. More to come.
1:25 PM: The mayor says he admires Diaz’s “tenacity” and that he believes he’d be “the strongest, most effective leader.” Diaz said he’s committed to “restore safety citywide.” He also promised “reconciliation” on many levels. Here’s the official city announcement, which notes that City Council confirmation is required for the appointment to be finalized. … Senior Deputy Mayor Monisha Harrell added in Q&A that another major plus for Diaz was that despite knowing that the job he’s had for the past two years was not necessarily permanent, he “came in to make change.” He says those changes have included reducing officers’ use of force by almost half. … In response to another question, Diaz talked about changes in how they’re recruiting, which have resulted in a more diverse group of new hires – almost 50 percent POC. He said they have increased resources for recruiting and outreach, too.
1:48 PM: The announcement event is over. We’ll add the video above when it’s available. (2:57 pm update – video added above.)
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