Mayor Fred Butler recently announced his appointment of Scott Behrbaum — a community leader with more than 18 years of service to the Issaquah Police Department — as our City’s next police chief.
Behrbaum, who’s served as a patrol commander for the last six years, gained experience in a variety of Issaquah Police Department roles, including patrol sergeant, crime prevention officer, narcotics officer and as the agency’s first school resource officer at Issaquah High School.
Along with a master’s in public administration from the University of Washington, Behrbaum is also a graduate of the prestigious FBI National Academy. He is currently a member of the Kiwanis Club of Issaquah, and serves on the Executive Board of the FBI National Academy Associates Washington Chapter.
“I am excited to appoint Scott as our community’s next police chief,” Butler said. “I admire the fairness and integrity that he brings to every situation. Moreover, his dedication to community policing — as demonstrated through his service to Issaquah over the past two decades — is a tremendous asset.”
The police chief leads a community-oriented department with a combined commissioned staff of 63 personnel that is dedicated to provide outstanding customer service to our City.
“I am honored by Mayor Butler’s appointment, and I’m excited for what the future holds both for our department and the City,” Behrbaum said. “I am committed to leading a responsive, approachable and collaborative department that is rooted in safety and service to our community.”
Next, the City Council is scheduled to vote on a confirmation at its April 7 meeting.
Behrbaum would succeed outgoing Chief Paul Ayers, who will retire April 15 after leading the department for seven years.
Several highly-qualified internal candidates were interviewed by four separate panels representing city staff and community members, who then provided input to the mayor.