Elected officials, public will question police-chief finalists during two events

Seattle's elected leaders and the public will get a chance Wednesday to hear from the three finalists to be the city's next police chief: Interim Police Chief John Diaz; Sacramento Police Chief Rick Braziel; and East Palo Alto, Calif., Police Chief Ron Davis.

All three will appear before the City Council on Wednesday morning in the council chambers at City Hall, 600 Fourth Ave.

The session will start with a briefing from Kate Joncas and Charles Rolland, co-chairs of the search committee that selected the finalists. They will explain the committee's work and why the three finalists were selected.

Each of the finalists then will appear individually, with the opportunity to give a 10-minute presentation to be followed by questions from council members.

The session is expected to last about 2 ½ hours.

On Wednesday evening, a community forum with the finalists is set for 6 in the Rainier Room at Seattle Center.

Mayor Mike McGinn, who will choose the next chief, will make opening remarks.

Rolland will moderate the community forum, in which each finalist will make a five-minute presentation followed by about a half-hour of discussion with each.

Those in the audience will be encouraged to submit questions, with translators available, and various community members will be present with prepared questions.

The event will be live-streamed by the Seattle Channel on the mayor's blog, www.seattle.gov/mayor/.

McGinn convened a 26-member search committee in January to help him find a successor to former Police Chief Gil Kerlikowske, who was appointed by President Obama last year to serve as head of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, a job generally known as the drug czar.

McGinn is expected to make his choice this month, subject to confirmation by the City Council.

Steve Miletich: 206-464-3302 or smiletich@seattletimes.com