We want to share with the community an update about the Asheville Police Department interim leadership and the process for selecting a new Police Chief.
As previously announced, APD Chief Chris Bailey has decided to resign for personal reasons. His last day will be Sept. 27.
Asheville City Manager Debra Campbell has named Robert C. White (Retired) to serve as Interim APD Chief. Chief White is a former police chief with 40-plus years in law enforcement that focused on increasing transparency, work efficiencies, and key partnerships between police officers and the communities they serve. He served as police chief in Denver, CO, Louisville, KY, and Greensboro, NC.
White was part of the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) team involved in our police chief search earlier this year and so is familiar with the Asheville Police Department.
Interim APD Chief White will arrive in Asheville Sept. 30 and begin Oct. 1. Within his first few weeks, Interim Chief White will meet with local news media to introduce himself, answer questions and talk about priorities in his interim role. He will have additional meetings with police department staff and interested community leaders.
APD Deputy Chiefs Wade Wood and James “Jim” Baumstark will be in charge of the Asheville Police Department Sept. 28-30.
As part of its contract with the City, PERF will continue the search for a new police chief at no additional cost. Their recruiters are actively engaged in identifying candidates now.
The timeline for engaging a new Asheville Police Chief is expected to be as follows:
- New chief to be named in late December.
- New chief to start in mid- to late-January 2020.
Asheville City Manager Debra Campbell is the hiring manager for this position and all other department director positions at the City.
Asheville City Council hires the City Manager, the City Clerk and the City Attorney.
While Campbell expressed her disappointment in Chief Bailey’s decision to resign, her focus now trains itself on hiring an exceptional Police Chief to lead the Asheville Police Department and serve this community.