NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) – Norfolk is another step closer to having a new police chief, as the city has apparently narrowed the search to three finalists.
A new police chief could be named around the first week of April as the city approaches a year without a top cop. Former Chief Larry Boone’s last day was April 29, 2022.
10 On Your Side sat down with Norfolk City Manager Dr. Chip Filer, who gave us an overview of the three remaining candidates for police chief.
Candidate A:
“The biggest strength is being a former chief, and being a sitting chief in a southeastern city that looks a little bit like us,” Filer told us while in a conference room at Norfolk City Hall.
Candidate B:
“Highest levels of supervisory experience and administration that they are currently sitting in, and a really good background in a bunch of divisions and departments,” Filer added.
Candidate C:
“Candidate C has a breadth of backgrounds across various departments, and various functions and that really is important to the search committee. We are not just looking for someone good at community policing, or who is really good at understanding investigations. We want someone who has touched almost all functions and divisions inside the police force.”
10 On Your Side asked Filer whether Candidate A, who is a sitting police chief, gives that person an advantage.
“It doesn’t necessarily give advantage,” Filer said, “but having chiefs’ experience definitely helps because the roll of a police chief in today’s world today is vastly different now than it was 12 years ago.”
Filer said managerial experience is essential for the next police chief.
“It’s not just making arrests,” Filer said. “It is making good solid arrests with good investigation with good hard evidence, so people who are perpetrating bad behavior are going to be locked up.”
All three candidates have expressed their support in the policy of policing equity, which uses data surrounding police interactions with the community to determine disparities.
“All three candidates are data-driven,” Filer said. “They talk about how we use data in order to patrol more effectively, and how you use data and technology to bring arrests to conviction.”
Filer said the next police chief must be out in front in the community,
“The number one thing they are going to have to do is get out and about and listen to the community,” Filer said. “They need to talk to the stakeholders, figure out what it is that makes up Norfolk.”
Here’s another issue for the new police chief.
Right now, there are 193 vacancies in the Norfolk Police Department.
Only Candidate A, who is a current police chief, has command experience in recruiting listed under Commands.
Want to weigh in?
The city of Norfolk wants your input. Go online to wavy.com and click “Norfolk searching for new police chief.” Read the three candidates’ answers to questions and give the city feedback on what you think. You have until March 27 to give responses.
