Public safety leaders, cybersecurity experts and business representatives gathered Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025 at the Kent Chamber of Commerce’s annual Safety & Security Membership Luncheon to discuss crime trends, fire risks, and the rising costs of cybercrime.
The event, held at Green River College’s Kent campus, featured a keynote by retired Seattle Police Chief Carmen Best, followed by a panel emceed by Carmen Goers with Kent Police Chief Rafael Padilla, newly appointed Puget Sound Fire Chief Mark Jones, and cybersecurity consultant Raj Sidhu of InTech Consulting.
Best: Technology Brings Change, But Also Opportunity
Best, who now consults with 21CP Solutions after serving as Microsoft’s director of global security and risk operations, emphasized how technology has reshaped law enforcement and business security.
“When I started in policing, my equipment was a revolver, baton and handcuffs,” Best said. “Fast forward to today, we have tasers, body-worn cameras, artificial intelligence, augmented reality and drones. It’s a completely different world now.”
Best urged leaders to “manage change with vision, not fear,” stressing that innovation must be paired with accountability and inclusivity.
“If you’re not improving and moving forward, you are falling behind,” she said.
Padilla: Crime Numbers Moving in Right Direction
Kent Police Chief Rafael Padilla told chamber members that violent crime and other major categories have dropped significantly in Kent since 2024.
“Our numbers are trending in the right direction,” Padilla said. “We were able to get back to 2019 levels with our 2024 stats, and we are beating those numbers right now on par of 30 to 50% in many categories.”
Padilla credited “the women and men that work for the Kent Police Department” along with better staffing and stronger collaboration between regional law enforcement agencies.
But he cautioned the city remains understaffed compared to other jurisdictions.
“We are still at the bottom of the state, the bottom of the country, in the number of officers per capita,” Padilla said. “That keeps us in a reactive state to crime versus a preventative mode.”
Jones: Fire Department Expands Services, Safety Measures
Puget Sound Fire Chief Mark Jones, appointed to the position earlier this month, highlighted the department’s growth from a city fire department into a regional authority now operating 17 fire stations across multiple cities.
Jones also pointed to the FD Cares program, which pairs firefighters with social workers and nurses to reduce non-emergency 911 calls.
“Sometimes people just need to be connected to services,” he said.
He also unveiled a new cancer-prevention initiative for firefighters.
“We are the first in the area to bring in liquid CO₂ cleaning for protective gear,” Jones said. “It removes 99.9% of carcinogens and gives our firefighters the cleanest gear they will ever wear.”
Sidhu: “Your Passwords are Essentially Useless”
Raj Sidhu, founder of InTech Consulting, warned business leaders about the financial toll of cyberattacks.
“At the end of this year, it’s projected that we will have spent about $11 trillion worldwide trying to counter cybercrime,” Sidhu said. “By 2029, that number is supposed to be up towards $16 trillion. If it were a country, it would be the third largest economy in the world.”
Sidhu also strongly warned business leaders not to rely on passwords alone for protection.
“Your passwords are essentially useless,” Sidhu said. “Most of the time, we can tell company leaders what their current password is without them telling us, because that information is already out there on the dark web. The only real safeguard is using multifactor authentication.”
Sidhu said most businesses underestimate these risks and fail to use even basic protections.
“About 20% of you have multifactor authentication,” he told attendees. “That means 80% are at risk of being compromised.”
Q: “What Keeps You Awake at Night?”
During the Q&A, one guest asked what kept the panelists awake at night. Jones cited firefighter safety, Sidhu pointed to criminal uses of artificial intelligence, and Padilla expressed concern for officer safety and the city’s young recruits.
Another attendee asked Padilla about diversity in the Kent Police Department. He said about 30% of officers come from underrepresented communities, with nearly half of recent hires reflecting the city’s diversity.
“We rank in the top five of all cities in the country for diversity,” Padilla said. “We are making significant progress.”
The chamber said it will continue conversations on safety, and is hoping to host a cybersecurity roundtable soon.
Video
Below is video of the event, as filmed/edited by Scott Schaefer:
