Seattle Police are nationally known both for handing out Doritos at Hempfest and for brutally kicking suspects in the head for little to no reason. That’s why Kathleen O’Toole, Seattle’s first female police chief, is such a welcome addition to the city—she is surprisingly free of asshole-like tendencies, and seems genuinely likable (wow!). More than anyone before her, O’Toole seems capable of pulling our police department out of its excessive-force funk and toward a more Dorito- and peace-filled future.

Read all of our picks for People & Places, and explore the rest of this year’s edition of Best of Seattle.