NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — Officials with the Norfolk Police Department say they are close to selecting a new police chief.
The department has narrowed the list to the three remaining, yet unidentified finalists from 25 qualified candidates at the beginning of the search.
City leadership is now asking for public input ahead of the selection. During the process, candidates were asked to answer a series of questions on topics including policing equity; community-based violence intervention and prevention; their respective approaches to recruitment, selection and retention of a qualified and diverse workforce; and how they identify with the Norfolk Police Department’s guiding principles.
Community members can view the three finalists’ written responses available HERE.
Residents are encouraged to review these responses and provide their feedback. Comments can be submitted through the website address listed above, or via email at: NPDChiefSearch@norfolk.gov.
Norfolk City Manager Larry “Chip” Filer and consultants from the executive search firm Morris & McDaniel will review this additional public input on the applicants’ responses.
Along with the city manager, the panel reviewing the selection for the new chief is also comprised of Alan Archer, Deputy City Manager for Public Safety for the City of Newport News; Norfolk Interim Chief of Police Michael Goldsmith; Norfolk Director of Human Resources Marva Smith; and Mark Talbot, Chief of Police for the City of Hampton.
Almost a year has passed since the sudden announcement regarding the departure of NPD’s former chief Larry Boone.
Following his retirement, Boone spoke with 10 On Your Side stating that it was his decision to ultimately leave the department to which he devoted 33 years of his life.
“Nobody muscles me,” he said. “It comes a point where you’ve done your very best. And I can read the tea leaves that my very best would not be good enough. So I decided to retire.”
Boone first joined the department in 1989 and served as police chief from December 2016 to May 2022.
Continue to check WAVY.com for updates.
