Shelby Parker is officially moving from acting role to permanent boss of the Olympia Police Department, the city announced Thursday. After steering the agency in an interim capacity since June 2025, she will be formally commissioned as chief at the City Council meeting next Tuesday, with a community open house set for March 31 at Olympia City Hall.
City Manager Jay Burney framed the move as a logical next step in Parker’s roughly two decades of service to Olympia, highlighting her focus on partnerships, transparency and officer well-being. The city laid out the appointment and event details in its City of Olympia newsletter.
From Deputy To Chief
Parker has climbed the ranks inside Olympia’s department and has been listed as interim chief in city meeting documents since mid-2025. City staff reports show she has been the one at the mic for public-safety briefings to the council, covering staffing levels, responses to demonstrations and the department’s use of technology, underscoring her role as the de facto executive lead, according to the City Legistar.
A Record Of Responsiveness
In the interim role, Parker has already shown she is willing to hit pause when residents raise red flags, especially around surveillance technology. In December she recommended suspending Olympia’s Flock automated license-plate reader pilot so officials could take a harder look at community concerns about data collection and access, a move reported by The Olympian and detailed by GovTech.
Ceremony And Community Events
The city says Parker’s formal commissioning as chief will happen during the council’s regular business meeting on Tuesday, March 24 at 6 p.m. A follow-up community open house is scheduled for Tuesday, March 31 at 6 p.m. in Council Chambers at Olympia City Hall, giving residents a chance to say congratulations face to face. Those dates and the city’s congratulatory note are outlined in the City of Olympia newsletter.
What Comes Next For OPD
Parker takes the permanent title while the department continues grinding through some big-ticket issues, including staffing, contracts for corrections services and Olympia’s broader “reimagining public safety” work. City reports note that staffing levels and the use of outside correction facilities are among the nuts-and-bolts problems she has already been handling as interim chief, according to the City Legistar. Residents will get an early read on her leadership style at the March 31 open house at City Hall.
