At a January 27 meeting of the East Precinct Crime Prevention Coalition, a crowd-shy Chief John Diaz took the unusual step of publicly condemning articles written by his own officers as "stupid."

For example, Officer Steve Pomper criticized Seattle's Race and Social Justice Initiative and the city's "socialist" agenda in the Seattle Police Officers' Guild's monthly paper, the Guardian. Diaz said the pieces were "bad for this entire organization, for the community." He added that "it degrades trust in our police department."

The meeting also marked the first time since his appointment that Diaz has spoken so bluntly about violent and incendiary incidents plaguing the Seattle Police Department under his short span as chief.

He discussed disciplining Officer Ian Birk, who fatally shot John T. Williams last August, within the next month. "Sometimes we make huge mistakes," he admitted. "Those are the ones you have to hold me accountable for."

His explanations, as well as his presence, served to reassure the crowd (who laughed at his jokes and thanked him before he left). And his sudden attendance at local crime meetings, along with other public commitments—such as attending a Stranger-­sponsored police-accountability forum at City Hall (Thurs Feb 3, 7–9 pm)—shows that he's finally willing to step out in public and address criticisms raised against his department head-on.