S.W. Precinct Captain Joseph Kessler (who recently retook command in West Seattle after a few year stint downtown) has been named to the Community Police Commission (CPC) by Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn.

The CPC is defined by the city as an independent forum for dialogue and input on policing practices, with the goal of ensuring that police services are delivered to the people of Seattle in a timely manner that (1) fully complies with the Constitution of the United States, (2) effectively ensures public and officer safety; and (3) promotes public confidence in SPD and its officers.

Here is the city press release naming Kessler and others to the commission:

Mayor Mike McGinn today announced his appointments to the new Community Police Commission. The Community Police Commission is a partnership between the police department, its officers, community members and public officials. The broad role of the Commission is to support the development of reforms, establishment of police priorities and mechanisms to promote community confidence in the Seattle Police Department.

The Commission consists of 15 members. All 15 members are appointed by the Mayor and are subject to City Council confirmation. The agreement requires that one member from the Seattle Police Officers Guild and one member from the Seattle Police Management Association sit on the Commission. The remaining 13 members were selected from applicants who reside or work in Seattle and include residents from each of the five geographic police precincts.

“Public safety relies on public trust and engagement,” said McGinn. “That’s why I proposed the creation of a Community Police Commission as part of our agreement with the Department of Justice to implement reforms in the Seattle Police Department. I thank all the members of this new commission for volunteering their time and experience to help build trust in our police force by working to develop reforms and engage the larger Seattle community.”

The co-chairs of the Community Police Commission are Lisa Daugaard and Diane Narasaki.

The members of the Commission are:

· Claudia D'Allegri, Sea Mar Community Health Centers, vice president of Behavioral Health

· Lisa Daugaard, co-chair, Defender Association, deputy director

· Kate Joncas, Downtown Seattle Association, president and CEO

· Bill Hobson, Downtown Emergency Services Center, executive director

· Jay Hollingsworth, John T. Williams Organizing Committee

· Joseph Kessler, Seattle Police Department, captain

· Diane Narasaki, co-chair, Asian Counseling & Referral Service, executive director

· John Page, Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion, program coordinator at the Defender Association’s Racial Disparity Project

· Tina Podlodowski, former Seattle City Councilmember

· Marcel Purnell, Youth Undoing Institutional Racism

· Jennifer Shaw, ACLU of Washington, deputy director

· Kevin Stuckey, Seattle Police Department, officer

· Kip Tokuda, former state representative for the 37th Legislative District

· Rev. Harriet Walden, co-founder of Mothers for Police Accountability

· Rev. Aaron Williams, Mount Zion Baptist Church, senior pastor