The Seattle Community Police Commission (CPC) will elect new co-chairs at its next meeting on September 1. This comes after Co-Chairs La Rond Baker and Erin Goodman resigned from their positions. The co-chairs elected will serve the remainder of their term, which ends in January 2022.

“I would like to thank commissioners La Rond Baker and Erin Goodman for their service as co-chairs,” said CPC Executive Director Brandy Grant. “While the CPC will be electing new co-chairs a few months earlier than expected, we will be continuing our critical work toward police accountability as previously scheduled.” 

Below is the previous co-chairs letter of resignation:

We thank you for allowing us the honor of serving as Co-Chairs of the Community Police Commission (CPC). In the time that we have served in this role the CPC has onboarded seven (7) commissioners, hired a permanent Executive Director, changed legal teams in United States v. City of Seattle (consent decree litigation), provided community input regarding union bargaining priorities, and responded in a timely manner to a number of pressing issues including SPD officers’ involvement in the insurrection at the Capitol and the conviction of George Floyd’s murderer. We have also assisted in reviving work groups within the CPC.

While we have had success there have also been difficulties in ensuring that our vision, strategy, and leadership as Co-Chairs is consistent with the current needs and expectations of the CPC. This is not surprising as the CPC has so many new commissioners that did not elect us to the Co-Chair positions and who are eager to engage in police accountability issues in a new way.

In order to make way for the newly revived Commission to advance work as it sees best, we step down as Co-Chairs of the CPC effective immediately. At the next CPC meeting the Commission may nominate and vote on new Co-Chairs and begin developing a new approach to leadership that is more in line with the Commission’s current needs and expectations.

We know that the CPC is strong and will continue to be a vital part of the City’s police accountability system. And we look forward to watching it grow.

If there is any way that we can be of assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Erin Goodman and La Rond Baker