Assistant Police Chief

Learn More:
Bellevue-WA-Assistant-Police-Chief-Brochure-

The City of Bellevue, WA, offers an outstanding opportunity for a forward-thinking police leader to become an Assistant Chief.

This individual will work with the Chief of Police and a second Assistant Chief to guide the department. The ideal candidate will be an excellent communicator and a have a strong desire to build trust and legitimacy by working collaboratively with the community and members of the department and all city departments.

The department has two Assistant Chief positions. One leads the Operations Bureau while the other manages the Investigative and Administrative Services Bureau.

To be successful in the position, the Assistant Chief will use the department’s Mission and Vision statements, and Guiding Principles to shape their decision-making. They will also work with the Chief of Police to fulfill the department’s goals and objectives. The Assistant Chiefs also serve as the primary advisors to the Chief of Police, formulate policy and procedures, make recommendations, and represent the department in the Chief’s absence.

Typical responsibilities include directing staff, managing the bureau’s budget, developing innovative ideas, and implementing best practices in law enforcement. The Assistant Chiefs plan and organize operations and will take command during major incidents and serve as a liaison between the department and local, state, and federal agencies.

Home to some of the world’s most innovative technology companies and businesses, Bellevue is an exceptional community with over 158,000 residents, spanning over 33 square miles centered in the heart of the Puget Sound region.

Serving as the metropolitan center for east King County, with the Cascade Mountains to the East and Seattle 10 miles to the West, Bellevue is considered Seattle’s largest suburb and has been recognized as one of the “best places to live” in the country. An economic powerhouse, the Bellevue area is a premier location with top employers including Amazon, Concur, Meta, Microsoft, Nintendo of America, Pokemon Company International, Salesforce, Smartsheet, Symetra and T-Mobile.

Bellevue is ideally situated along Interstate Highways 90 and 405 and State Route 520. In 2024, Sound Transit's 2 Line light rail service opened to community members and in 2026, a connection bridge opened along I-90 between Bellevue and Seattle. This connection gives the community members the opportunity to utilize public transit from the Eastside and throughout the Puget Sound Region.

With over 2,800 acres of parks and open space, Bellevue is known as a “City in a Park.” The city is also known for its environmental stewardship, award-winning park systems, and vast network of green spaces, all of which contribute to an exceptional quality of life. The Bellevue School District provides quality education to more than 20,000 students in grades Pre-K through 12 on 31 campuses.

Bellevue College, with an enrollment of 27,334 students, provides higher education for students from all over the world.

To provide a safe place to live, work, and visit through quality law enforcement practices delivered by dedicated professionals. We focus our efforts and resources to reduce crime, reduce the fear of crime, and enhance the quality of life for all who call Bellevue home.

The Bellevue Police Department has a professional staff of 256 budgeted employees, 206 of whom are sworn officers and 50 are professional staff. The department’s highly trained officers and professional staff utilize a combination of reactive and proactive response methods to respond to citizen needs. To achieve the goal of a safe community, the department partners with the community to identify problems early on the looks for the best solution(s).

From 2024 to 2025, property crime was down 33%, violent crime was down 1%, and overall crime was reduced by 27%.

In 2025, the department responded to 67,833 calls for service and the community members filed 11,673 police reports. Chief Wendell Shirley currently leads the department, which is organized into two bureaus –…