Tucson assistant chief selected to lead Spokane Police Department

Spokane has selected its new police chief after almost five months of searching, Mayor Lisa Brown announced Thursday.

Tucson, Arizona, Assistant Police Chief Kevin Hall will begin his work as the city’s new chief sometime prior to Sept. 1, according to a city press release. Hall is a 32-year employee of the Tucson Police Department, according to his biography on the department’s website. He serves as the commander for the Field Services Division but has experience in multiple units of policing. Those include home invasion, homicide, SWAT, gangs, internal affairs and child abuse.

Hall was among four finalists for the city’s new chief, all of which participated in a community forum in late June. Brown said in an interview Thursday that he was her top pick when she met with the candidates after the forum, and a decision was made in the following days to write him an offer letter. He will be making $247,804 a year, city spokesperson Erin Hut said.

During the forum, Hall advocated thoroughly for evidence-based policing practices, community involvement and better behavioral health solutions that don’t cycle people in and out of jail with no housing or mental support.

“I intend to bring a passion for collaboration, innovation, data-driven strategies, and value-based policing to Spokane that will propel the agency into a regional, if not national, public safety leader,” Hall said in a statement. “This will require increased participation from the community as co-producers of public safety, which I am committed to facilitating and fostering. I am just as committed to the health and well-being of all the talented members of the agency, knowing that if the team members are not 100 percent, we cannot give 100 percent to those we serve.”

Brown said Thursday that Hall was a “preference” of the selection committee built to find a new chief. The committee was established by Deputy City Administrator Maggie Yates, and included those from city council, the assistant police chief, the head of the police union, a Spokane Firefighters Union representative, service provider officials and some small business leaders.

Brown said from the get-go, the two established a commitment to transparency, but also to evidence-based practices, being open to change and “learning what works,” especially for a city grappling with a fentanyl crisis and possible budget cuts.

“He was very thoughtful,” Brown said. “He didn’t just want a job, he wanted a job where he could make a difference.”

Hall will be filling the shoes of Interim Police Chief Justin Lundgren, who is leaving the police department after 27 years for the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office to assume a position as the unincorporated patrol division commander. Lundgren didn’t apply for the city’s police chief position because he wanted to spend more time with his children, he told The Spokesman-Review in a previous interview. His last day is Aug. 5.

“I have been very blessed to have been a member of the Spokane Police Department over the last 27 years. I very am proud of our dedicated officers, employees, and volunteers who serve this community at an exceptionally high level,” Lundgren said in a statement. “… I would like to congratulate Chief Hall on his selection to lead the SPD and am pleased to welcome him to our agency. Kevin Hall is an accomplished law enforcement leader who brings decades of experience and extensive professional education. He will be joining an excellent team of men and women at the SPD who work every day to provide exceptional policing to the community. I look forward to helping Chief Hall during this transition.”

When Hall steps into his official role, a priority for Brown would be engaging with the community and building trust within Spokane and throughout the police department. The city sent out multiple surveys throughout the time the committee was searching for a new chief, and significant feedback revolved around police’s use of force practices and protocol during police shootings. 

This year, Spokane police officers have shot five suspects, killing four. Spokane law enforcement, including police and sheriff’s department, has killed more armed suspects this year in February than in all of 2023.

Brown said she’s interested in the perspective he’ll bring when it comes to using force, and for an assistant chief that was named to the Evidence-Based Policing Hall of Fame at George Mason University, she is happy to see some of it already in practice.

Police Guild President Det. Dave Dunkin said in an interview Thursday that Hall “just wowed the whole committee.” There was no disagreements between the committee when it came to selecting Hall, either, Dunkin said. 

“It would do me no good to bring in a chief that police officers loved, but the community was lukewarm to,” he said.

Like Brown, building relationships throughout Spokane is where he believes Hall could “do the most good right away.” And he is more than capable, Dunkin said. Both he and Brown voiced their gratitude for the selection committee, too, whose members spent many days sifting through applications and interviews while weaving in feedback from Spokane residents about what they wanted to see in their next police chief.

“We all want to see him succeed, so I think when we have a new chief everyone’s excited about, it will make a huge improvement,” he said. Even with the budget challenges that include a $20-25 million deficit within the city and possible cuts to the department, Dunkin is confident Hall can manage.

“It’ll be challenging, but we are all in this together,” Dunkin said.

This is a developing story