Bellevue Appoints Interim Police Chief

BELLEVUE, WA — Assistant Bellevue Police Chief Wendell J. Shirley will serve as the city's interim police chief as the city begins preparations to find a permanent replacement for Steve Mylett. After six years in Bellevue, Mylett announced his departure plans earlier this month. He is scheduled to take over as the police chief in Akron, Ohio in August.

Shirley began as an assistant chief in Bellevue in March after 26 years with the Santa Monica Police Department, where he retired as a captain in 2019. Shirley said he decided to come out of retirement after watching nationwide racial justice protests last year.

"I am honored and humbled at the opportunity to serve alongside the outstanding men and women of the Bellevue Police Department," Shirley said in a statement Tuesday. "The department will continue to make community safety our highest priority, and we are committed to an inclusive and diverse approach, which better serves everyone in Bellevue. And while policing in America is facing some serious challenges, I am confident we will emerge even better."

Shirley will take over as interim chief in early August. Bellevue City Manager Brad Miyake will lead a nationwide search for Mylett's permanent replacement beginning in a few weeks. The Bellevue Police Department employs more than 180 sworn officers and four dozen other employees.