Bellevue police have a new assistant chief after Chief Steve Mylett swore in Wendell J. Shirley Monday, March 8, 2021.

Shirley joins BPD after a nearly 26-year career with the Santa Monica Police Department, where he rose to the rank of Captain. Chief Shirley retired from SMPD in 2019.

“I spent the bulk of my career helping build relationships between the police and the community,” Chief Shirley said. “I pride myself on my track record of developing relationships based on trust, honesty, and mutual respect. There’s certainly a lot of work to do, and I firmly believe my experience, training, and passion will be a valuable asset to Bellevue,” Shirley said via press release.

Shirley says he chose Bellevue after researching the area and speaking with Chief Mylett. “Bellevue is a beautiful city with an outstanding police department. The Chief’s philosophy and the City’s leadership all align with my values. I’m excited and humbled by this opportunity.”

Chief Mylett said via press release that despite having multiple qualified candidates, “it quickly became evident Chief Shirley had the experience and qualities that we were looking for.”

Chief Mylett pointed to Shirley’s vast police experience and the leadership roles he embraced both in the police department and the community.

Chief Shirley fills a position left vacant when Carl Kleinknecht retired last year. He will oversee the Operations Division at BPD.