The applications, from both inside and outside the department, arrived by an initial consideration deadline at the end of October. Wilson has begun meeting with Seattle Police Department employees and launched an internal survey to learn what rank-and-file officers want in their next leader.

The search follows a turbulent year for the department. On the final day of the Bite of Seattle festival in July, three people were killed and several others were wounded in a shooting at Seattle Center, including a 2-year-old boy. The attack exposed serious problems in how the city communicated with the public: officials struggled to share information as residents waited, and text messages later showed a chaotic tangle of details in the aftermath, with then-Chief Shon Barnes saying at one point, "I don't know who is in charge."

Barnes resigned at the end of July amid the fallout, and Wilson named Andre Sayles as interim chief. In August, Sayles acknowledged "rocky" times at the department while noting that the Bite of Seattle killer was not in custody. A 15-year-old boy arrested and charged in connection with the shooting has claimed he fired in self-defense after two other suspects opened fire in his direction.

The city launched a national search in September, following a process that began in August with a public survey that drew more than 1,300 respondents, along with listening sessions and community roundtables. More than 400 people took part in the sessions and roundtables, according to the mayor's office.

Participants emphasized the need for a chief with strong ties to Seattle who can build relationships with the city's diverse communities and rebuild public trust through accountability and transparency. Residents also called for faster 911 response times, more visible patrols and measurable safety outcomes, as well as an approach that pairs enforcement with prevention and other responses.

An advisory committee is set to advance top candidates to a competitive examination later this month. Final interviews with Wilson are planned for December, followed by a selection in the coming months. The nominee will need confirmation from the City Council.

The hire will land in a department still under scrutiny over its response to the July shooting, and at a moment when community groups and families of victims have pressed for concrete safety improvements. For a city wrestling with gun violence and questions about who is accountable when crisis hits, the choice of a permanent chief is likely to shape public safety policy and the department's relationship with residents for years to come.