Patti Jackson is first woman sworn in as Tacoma Police Chief

TACOMA, Wash. - The City of Tacoma officially has a new chief of police. On Thursday, Patti Jackson was sworn in, becoming the first woman to permanently lead the Tacoma Police Department.

"This is a beautiful day," said Jackson to the crowd of supporters who attended her ceremony at police headquarters. "This oath is not about position, it’s about service. It’s about accountability, it’s about protecting this community, and supporting the people that do this work." 

Jackson brings more than 35 years of law enforcement to the police department. Now as the official leader, she said her priority is with the people of the department.

What they're saying:

"I love this agency," said Jackson. "I want to make sure that we can grow this agency so that we can best support the city and the community that we serve." 

Jackson first began serving in the top spot as interim chief in March 2025, after Avery Moore resigned. Jackson credits the previous administration for what she says was a "very positive" violent crime reduction plan. She said officers will continue following the plan, with some adjustments made by her administration.

"We’re doing what we call ‘set missions.’ And we’re setting people out and those officers are responding to crime that’s out there. We’ve made significant progress in clearing out some of those areas," said Jackson. "Crime rate is down, but you never want to let your guard down because of that."

Fixing crime in Tacoma, WA

The other side:

The guard is up, however, for Tacoma neighbor Stephen Taylor and his family of five.

"I've never really felt fully safe here," said Taylor.

On Tuesday, Taylor said three suspects shot nearly 60 bullets at his home while his family was sleeping. His 21-year-old daughter Emma was hit five times. Taylor said the shooting appeared to be random, and miraculously, his family survived.

"I've heard that's been going on a lot in our community lately. For some reason, every time there's a shooting, there's 60 bullets. I'm starting to wonder if there is a pattern developing here," said Taylor.

What's next:

With no tolerance for that shooting, or any criminal activity, the new police chief said hiring more officers is her mission towards a safer Tacoma. Jackson said on Feb. 23, two new lateral officers, three new entry-level officers, and many other positions will start their jobs at the agency.

"This is the first time in decades that we are at single digit vacancies, which means that we can have more officers in the street that are ready to hopefully disrupt criminal activity. When we’re disrupting that criminal activity, that’s letting people know a strong message: not here in Tacoma," said Jackson.

The police chief said the remaining six officer vacancies will be filled by April 2026. This would bring the authorized and budgeted total of officers to 368. 

"We want to grow this agency, but we need to do so [by] making sure we’re getting the right people into the right places, and that takes a little bit of process," said the chief.

Jackson said her future goals include applying for grants to increase the budgeted total of officers. She also said the department would apply for funding to expand training and improve technology and department resources.

"We want a safe Tacoma," said Jackson.

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