Mayor Ed Murray said in February he aimed to select a new Seattle police chief by the end of April, but today he's extending that timeline by a few weeks. Interim Chief Harry Bailey has been a disaster so far, and Murray has said picking a new chief is the "most important decision" he'll make as mayor. His office announced today that it's completed its "Resume Search" and outlined next steps, cautioning that these dates are tentative:

· April 11 through 26: Screen applicants, schedule and conduct interviews
· Week of May 5: Select and move top candidates to Mayor for final decision
· Week of May 12: Mayor interviews candidates
· Week of May 19: Mayor makes and announces his nominee to Council

In input from the public so far, search committee co-chair Ron Sims says, "What we've heard loud and clear is a strong desire for a collaborative leader who values social justice, who values community engagement and public accountability." That would be remarkable, wouldn't it?

Meanwhile in South Seattle this morning, a man with machete who threatened people then barricaded himself in a house on Pearl Street, according to police, was apprehended "without incident" at 7 a.m.. Negotiators and SWAT officers had "responded to the scene to assist in getting the suspect to surrender peacefully." Sounds like a job well done, which makes it all the more regrettable that a similar process did not play out last week with Cody Spafford, a cherished chef who robbed a bank and wound up in a one-on-one confrontation on top of a garage with a lone officer armed with a rifle, who killed him when he allegedly charged holding a kitchen blade.