Interim Olympia Police Chief Shelby Parker has been appointed to full-time chief, the City of Olympia announced March 12.
Parker will be commissioned during the Olympia City Council meeting at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, March 24 and a community open house is scheduled for Tuesday, March 31 at 6 p.m. at Olympia City Hall.
Parker has served as Interim Chief since June 2025, and previously as deputy chief.
Parker brings more than two decades of dedicated public service, having served the department for the entirety of her career.
“Chief Parker has demonstrated a commitment to leading with integrity, listening to and responding to our community’s public safety priorities, and seeking a balanced approach to keeping our community safe while moving community members towards wellness," said Olympia City Manager Jay Burney.
“Anyone who has spent time with Chief Parker knows that she leads with optimism and is dedicated to strengthening relationships both within and outside the City organization. She has worked to successfully build partnerships across Olympia and foster trust with our community through dialogue, collaboration, and responsiveness."
The city said that in her executive leadership roles, Parker has engaged in successful department labor negotiations, updated policies and procedures to reflect modern policing practices, strengthened organizational effectiveness and transparency through the sharing of department data, and continued to advance the city’s efforts to carry out the reimagining public safety recommendations.
The city also said Parker has a proven ability to lead the department through challenges, demonstrating care and focusing attention on the professional growth, well-being, and readiness of department officers and professional staff. She continues to advance the department’s hiring practices, working to fill existing vacancies through innovative and modern recruitment and training practices.
Parker holds a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from the University of Washington and has completed extensive executive leadership training, including graduation from the FBI National Academy and the Police Executive Research Forum’s Senior Management Institute for Police. She also holds an Executive Level Career Certification from the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission, the highest level of professional certification offered in Washington State, reflecting her commitment to professional excellence, ethical leadership, and modern public safety practices.
"Parker’s leadership philosophy emphasizes equity, connection, and shared responsibility for community safety and well-being," the City of Olympia said in a news release. "As chief, she is committed to advancing Olympia’s public safety goals through innovation, transparency, and accountability while supporting the dedicated professionals of the Olympia Police Department in their service to the community. "
