City Manager speaks out about chief

NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) - City manager Marcus Jones has a big plan, sees a bigger picture, and Norfolk Police Chief Bruce Marquis simply wasn't in it.

'We want Norfolk to be a place where it's a preferred place of employment," said Jones.

Marquis announced his retirement Friday . For seven years, he equipped his officers with the latest technology, stun guns, computers in cars, built a new precinct, and added a third. However, he recently dropped the ball in the death of a Norfolk police recruit and came under fire for credit card spending.

He was a man who could get things done, but Jones feels he failed to think outside the office.

"It's very important to repair those relationships and also relationships across departments and hopefully in the future we'll talk about this whole concept of not talking about departments," he said.

Jones said Marquis deserves a severance package, but the details have yet to be ironed out. It will most likely look nothing like the package former city manager Regina Williams walked away with - a year salary, car allowance, 401k contributions and more which caused quite an uproar.

"My philosophy is that when we have individuals separated from the city I would like a vehicle to provide some type of severance so that's it's consistent and individuals know that's a process available to me," said Jones.

Jones appointed Chief Sharon Chamberlin as interim chief as he looks for someone to complete his picture.

'We're going to have a search, but that doesn't mean that we're not looking within, so it's going to be a dual process," he said.

Marquis will retire April 1.