Police Administration View the Department’s Organizational Chart Chief David Zack David Zack was appointed to Chief of Police for the Asheville Police Department on February 4, 2020. He began his career in law enforcement in 1984 where he worked as a New York State Corrections Officer at both Sing Sing and Attica Correctional Facilities. In 1987 he joined the Cheektowaga Police Department and rose through the ranks serving in a number of different roles, including patrol supervisor and Detective Bureau Commander, before being named Chief in 2011. During his career in Cheektowaga he also served as the President of the Erie County Chiefs of Police Association, President of the New York State Association of Chiefs of Police, and was a member of the Board of Governors of the International Association of Chiefs of Police. Chief Zack’s other accomplishments include introducing the first Fair and Impartial Police (FIP) training program in the state of New York, receiving the National Federation for Just Communities Law Enforcement Leadership Award in 2016, and the National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI) President’s Award for his role in creating the first crisis intervention team in Erie County. Chief Zack holds a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from Hilbert College and has been an instructor of forensic science and crime scene photography for several colleges and universities. He is also a graduate of the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) Senior Management Institute for Police. Contact Information: Office: 828-259-5813 dzack@ashevillenc.gov Deputy Chief James Baumstark Deputy Chief James “Jim” Baumstark Deputy Chief James “Jim” Baumstark started with the Asheville Police Department (APD) on November 9, 2015. Prior to his arrival, he served with the Fairfax County Police Department (FCDP) in Fairfax, Virginia for more than 26 years. He held the rank of Captain when he left FCPD to join APD. As Captain, he oversaw operations, administrative, and investigative responsibilities for the Franconia District Station, Criminal Intelligence Unit, the FCPD Gang Unit, a grant-funded Human Trafficking Task Force, and he served as Director of the Northern Virginia Regional Intelligence Center. Deputy Chief Baumstark received his Bachelor of Arts in History from Virginia Tech. He has advanced leadership training through the Professional Executive Leadership School from the University of Richmond Business School, Key Executive Masters Certificate Program through the Naval Postgraduate School. Deputy Chief Baumstark is also a graduate of the FBI National Academy Session 274. Contact Information: Office: 828-259-5539 jbaumstark@ashevillenc.gov Deputy Chief Michael Yelton Deputy Chief Michael “Mike” Yelton Deputy Chief Michael “Mike” Yelton joined the Asheville Police Department (APD) in June of 1998. He is a United States Army veteran and began his law enforcement career with the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office. During his career with APD his assignments have included patrol, Emergency Response Team (ERT), training academy, Drug Suppression Unit, traffic motors, public housing, and command of the Hazardous Devices Team (Bomb Squad). Deputy Chief Yelton received a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from the University of North Carolina at Asheville and a Master of Public Affairs from Western Carolina University. He has also completed advanced leadership training through the FBI LEEDA program. Contact Information: Office: 828-251-4086 myelton@ashevillenc.gov Related Services Crime prevention How to prevent crimes and protect your family and belongings. 11 Services Pet services Learn about what kinds of pets can be kept in Asheville, as well as processes for licenses and pet vaccination requirements. 7 Services Report crime using TIP2APD The Asheville Police Department (APD) is putting a new crime-fighting tool into the hands of community members. This new tool, TIP2APD, enables the public to share anonymous tips with police officers and lets officers respond back to create an anonymous two-way conversation. The tool also allows the community to find information on incidents APD is currently [...] Apply to be a law enforcement explorer Apply to get hands on experience from The Asheville Police Department Explorer Post (#57) This is designed for applicants age 14 to 20. Terrorism awareness information See Something, Say Something... Report tips and crime to your local law enforcement. City job opportunities – Police Department Learn about job opportunities with the Asheville Police Department, including the hiring process and eligibility requirements to become a police officer. Sign up for AVL Alert Keep updated through the City of Asheville on emergency and non-emergency subscriptions. Explore city data Public datasets and maps are available on the open data portal at data.ashevillenc.gov. Sign up for the Citizen’s Police Academy Apply for the Citizens Police Academy to learn about the police department and law enforcement. Make a home inventory Learn how having a home inventory is essential to insurance claims or property recovery efforts in case of a disaster, fire, or a burglary. Report a crime How to report a crime, including how to remain anonymous and be eligible in some cases for a cash reward. Dispose of prescription medication Safely discard prescription medication by dropping it off at the Asheville Police Department drop-off box. More Related Services Police Administration News Asheville Police Department announces rollout of new anonymous crime tip tool Posted on December 1, 2020December 2, 2020 by Polly McDaniel The Asheville Police Department (APD) is putting a new crime-fighting tool into the hands of community members. This new tool, TIP2APD, allows the public to share anonymous tips with police officers and lets officers respond back to create an anonymous two-way conversation. (See video tutorial below.) The AshevillePD app is available for free download for both [...] Asheville Police Department encourages residents to use online reporting tool Posted on November 25, 2020 by Polly McDaniel The Asheville Police Department is encouraging individuals who want to report certain types of non-emergencies to use the Police to Citizen tool (P2C) available online by visiting https://ashevillepd.policetocitizen.com. It is crucial to remember that this tool is not a replacement for calling 9-1-1 in the event of an emergency. The online reporting module allows [...] Asheville Police offer tips to protect your purchases this holiday season Posted on November 18, 2020November 17, 2020 by Polly McDaniel Getting into the holiday spirit in 2020 might have many focusing on making adjustments to their traditions or maybe even considering alternatives, due to COVID-19 precautions. However, officers with the Asheville Police Department request residents remember an unfortunately common holiday season problem — theft. From “porch pirate” package theft, to theft from [...] More Police Administration News
Report crime using TIP2APD The Asheville Police Department (APD) is putting a new crime-fighting tool into the hands of community members. This new tool, TIP2APD, enables the public to share anonymous tips with police officers and lets officers respond back to create an anonymous two-way conversation. The tool also allows the community to find information on incidents APD is currently [...]
Apply to be a law enforcement explorer Apply to get hands on experience from The Asheville Police Department Explorer Post (#57) This is designed for applicants age 14 to 20.
Terrorism awareness information See Something, Say Something... Report tips and crime to your local law enforcement.
City job opportunities – Police Department Learn about job opportunities with the Asheville Police Department, including the hiring process and eligibility requirements to become a police officer.
Sign up for AVL Alert Keep updated through the City of Asheville on emergency and non-emergency subscriptions.
Explore city data Public datasets and maps are available on the open data portal at data.ashevillenc.gov.
Sign up for the Citizen’s Police Academy Apply for the Citizens Police Academy to learn about the police department and law enforcement.
Make a home inventory Learn how having a home inventory is essential to insurance claims or property recovery efforts in case of a disaster, fire, or a burglary.
Report a crime How to report a crime, including how to remain anonymous and be eligible in some cases for a cash reward.
Dispose of prescription medication Safely discard prescription medication by dropping it off at the Asheville Police Department drop-off box.
Asheville Police Department announces rollout of new anonymous crime tip tool Posted on December 1, 2020December 2, 2020 by Polly McDaniel The Asheville Police Department (APD) is putting a new crime-fighting tool into the hands of community members. This new tool, TIP2APD, allows the public to share anonymous tips with police officers and lets officers respond back to create an anonymous two-way conversation. (See video tutorial below.) The AshevillePD app is available for free download for both [...]
Asheville Police Department encourages residents to use online reporting tool Posted on November 25, 2020 by Polly McDaniel The Asheville Police Department is encouraging individuals who want to report certain types of non-emergencies to use the Police to Citizen tool (P2C) available online by visiting https://ashevillepd.policetocitizen.com. It is crucial to remember that this tool is not a replacement for calling 9-1-1 in the event of an emergency. The online reporting module allows [...]
Asheville Police offer tips to protect your purchases this holiday season Posted on November 18, 2020November 17, 2020 by Polly McDaniel Getting into the holiday spirit in 2020 might have many focusing on making adjustments to their traditions or maybe even considering alternatives, due to COVID-19 precautions. However, officers with the Asheville Police Department request residents remember an unfortunately common holiday season problem — theft. From “porch pirate” package theft, to theft from [...]