After consulting with a search firm, numerous community groups, two police chiefs from neighboring cities, the Kirkland City Council and others, Kirkland City Manager Kurt Triplett has selected current Kirkland Police Department Cpt. Cherie Harris as the force’s new police chief.

“She hasn’t been in Kirkland forever but she has a good familiarity with the department,” Triplett said. “She was well-prepared and has some innovative ideas for the department to get better.”

Triplett said that Harris will begin her new position on April 19.

Harris was chosen from three finalists, including deputy chief of operations bureau for the Port of Seattle Police Department Rod Covey and Brian Harris, no relation, a retired assistant chief of the DeKalb County Police Department in Georgia. She replaces former Kirkland police chief Eric Olsen, who retired last September after 27 years of service, including eight years at the helm.

“The other two were very strong candidates,” Triplett said. “It was a tough choice. They all would have been different as chief. But I think Cherie brings the right balance.”

Harris has 23 years of law enforcement experience. She was hired by the department in 2012 after serving as the deputy chief for the Monroe Police Department.

She has experience managing patrol, traffic, K-9, SWAT, crisis negation and parking enforcement teams.

Triplett said that Harris will have advantages and disadvantages as an internal hire.

“I think she can really hit the ground running with the community,” Triplett said. “Some people might have a hard time seeing her in a new role. But she has the respect of the command staff and troops.”

Triplett even consulted with Bothell Police Chief Carol Cummings and Mercer Island Police Chief Ed Holmes during the hiring process to get first-person perspective on the job. Most of the people Triplett consulted with also interviewed each of the three finalists.

Triplett said that Harris did not “play it safe” during the hiring process and brought in new ideas for the department. One of the biggest issues all departments are facing is in the recruitment of new officers. It is especially a difficult issue for Kirkland as many officers have recently, or are preparing to, retire.

“She has a lot of great ideas about recruiting,” Triplett said. “We have not been very proactive. We need to use the fact that we are a great city.”

Harris also has ideas on how the department can expand the use of social media to let the community know what the police are doing and wants officers to be more engaging with the community.

“In today’s world we need police with great customer service and who can communicate,” Triplett said. “We need to find officers that will engage the community. She cares about the citizenry and I think she will be at the forefront of recruitment efforts.”