Chief of Police

You could be the next Chief of Police of the City of Fayetteville, NC Police Department if you…

• recognize that law enforcement agencies and communities are experiencing stressors that require proactive and innovative leadership; 
• have excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to unite community members of diverse ages and backgrounds around common goals; 
• understand that department morale drives recruitment, retention, and excellence in service delivery
• apply an equity lens that infuses principles of diversity, inclusion, and belonging from program conception through decision-making and implementation; 
• are diplomatic and effective in advocating for the needs of the department and its staff.

The next City of Fayetteville Chief will join a Police Department with international accreditation that is committed to uniting the community and reducing crime through strategies centered on the principles of intelligence-led policing, community partnerships, operational efficiency, and crime prevention. The Chief will bring unique and innovative approaches to maintaining the department’s trust and reputation within the community. They will carefully navigate the perspectives of various population groups and educate the community on the mission, values, and strategy of the department. A collaborative, solutions-oriented leader who willingly engages the other regional law enforcement agencies is essential.

The Chief’s experience must have depth and breadth; from experience equipping staff to respond to mental health issues to implementing effective response protocols regarding protests, the Chief will have demonstrable success in proactive methods to support crime prevention. Leading a young department with roughly 75% having served less than 5 years, the Chief will be a strong advocate for the department and will hold themselves and the department to high standards of excellence. The ideal candidate will have success in community immersion with diverse communities like Fayetteville and must be adept in embracing, navigating, and leading the City’s diverse population, including its increasing student and military population. From quarterly meetings with the faith community to de-escalation, the Chief must be highly competent in modern policing methods, a genuine leader who remains calm in crisis, and demonstrates impeccable decision-making and problem-solving skills.

About the Community: 

Fayetteville was settled in 1739 by immigrants from the Scottish highlands arriving via the Cape Fear River. Its presence as the home of Fort Liberty (Bragg) has imbued it with the values of freedom, democracy, and patriotism. 

The City of Fayetteville, with a population of more than 209,000 community members, is the 6^thlargest city and 5^thlargest metropolitan area in North Carolina. Recognized for innovation, leadership, and excellence and a four-time All-America City award winner, the City of Fayetteville isAmerica’s Can Do City. Fayetteville offers the amenities of a sizable city, including historic sites, seven museums, three colleges and universities, multiple entertainment venues, a historic downtown, and award-winning recreation amenities.  

Fayetteville is the county seat for Cumberland County (pop. 326,328) and is one of nine municipalities within the county. Fayetteville is the proud home of Fort Liberty (Bragg), one of the largest military installations in the world and headquarters for U.S. Army Forces Command, XVIII Airborne Corps, 82nd Airborne Division, U.S. Army Reserve Command, and U.S. Army Special Operations Command. With an active-duty population of over 48,700 troops, the strong military presence offers significant economic development potential. 

Demographically, the community members of Fayetteville are 38.3% white, 42.3% Black/African American, 13.1% Hispanic/Latino, 5.62% two or more races, 3.1% Asian, and less than 1% American Indian or Alaskan Native.  As of 2022, the median household income in Fayetteville was $53,424. 

Located in North Carolina's Sandhills region, residents enjoy a pleasant climate with distinct seasons. Fayetteville and the surrounding counties include scenic rivers, lakes, and other recreation areas, as well as world-renowned golf courses that host major tournaments. Fayetteville is two hours from the North Carolina coast and four hours from the Great Smoky Mountains and the Blue Ridge Parkway. 

There are three colleges and universities in Fayetteville. Fayetteville State University (HBCU) is a part of the University of North Carolina System, offering more than 60 programs of study at the baccalaureate, master's, and doctoral levels.Methodist Universityis a private university established by the North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church. Methodist University offers bachelor’s degrees in more than 80 fields of study and six graduate degrees. Fayetteville Technical Community College (FTCC)is a member of the North Carolina Community College System, offering more than 250 programs of study leading to the award of an associate degree, certificate, or diploma. 

One of Fayetteville’s greatest assets is its thriving downtown area, which contains a vibrant arts and cultural community. From theatres to museums for adults and children, there is something available downtown for everyone. The Airborne and Special Operations Museum honors the City’s unique connection to our service members. A variety of festivals and special events are held throughout the year downtown and across the City. A revitalized downtown area, complete with retail shops and dining establishments, is catalyzing additional growth spurred by the $40 million baseball stadium, which serves as home to the Fayetteville Woodpeckers, a Houston Astros affiliate. The revitalized historic Prince Charles surrounds the stadium, offering 59 one- and two-bedroom luxury apartments. Investment and expansion opportunities will continue to rise as Fayetteville experiences growth. Learn more about the opportunities in Fayetteville here and get a taste of what a weekend is like in Fayetteville by watching this short video. 

About the Organization: 

The City of Fayetteville operates under a council-manager form of government. It has more than 1,800 full-time and 400 part-time seasonal employees working across 19 departments. The FY 2025 operating budget is $(Download PDF reader) 320.9M (Download PDF reader)across all funds. 

The City’s core values of RESPECT (Responsibility, Ethics, Stewardship, Professionalism, Entrepreneurial Spirit, Commitment, and Teamwork) are the basis for actions and decisions. They are the compass for accomplishing the City’s mission, vision, and objectives.  The City has dedicated resources to transparency and accountability for meeting City goals and objectives through the Office of Strategic Performance Analytics and a strategic planning process that engages the community proactively. The annual 2025 Strategic Plan can be found here(Download PDF reader).

The City prides itself on community engagement and offers multiple ways for the community to become involved and stay informed. These include 26 Advisory Boards and Commissions, state-of-the-art communication tools such as the cable and streaming FayTV government access channel, social media, podcasts, and community surveys. The City earns numerous awards and recognitions at the department level and nationally for its efforts. Explore more about the City of Fayetteville here. 

About the Department and Position:

The Fayetteville Police Department (FPD) is an internationally accredited law enforcement agency with the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. The department was first accredited in 1989 and is now a full-service law enforcement agency. The FPD is committed toimproving the quality of life by creating a safe and secure environment for the community members we serve. The department is committed to always acting with integrity to reduce crime, create partnerships, and build trust while treating everyone with respect, compassion, and fairness. 

Reporting to the City Manager, the Chief will oversee a budget of more than $65 million and 432 sworn and 168 non-sworn employees. The FPD is organized into two primary components, the Field Operations Bureau and the Specialized Services Bureau, and is divided into three (3) districts: Campbellton, Central, and Cross Creek. The next Chief will lead the department’s vision to serve as a premier law enforcement agency that is invested in the growth and safety of the community through innovation and a balanced approach to Law Enforcement. The Chief will commit to pursuing and engaging the best trained, equipped, and committed professionals who demonstrate the highest standards of performance and best policing practices in partnership with the community. Furthermore, the Chief will uphold and demonstrate the department’s values: FAITH. PRIDE. DEDICATION. 

The department’s strategic plan reflects the department’s mission, values, principles, goals, and strategies to reduce crime and improve the quality of life in Fayetteville. The 2022 Landscape Analysis report found that interpersonal disputes fuel most violence in the City, which is generally between individuals with high levels of untreated trauma who are disconnected emotionally, socially, and economically. The next Chief will prioritize addressing the role of responding to mental health issues in reducing crime and will bring a new and effective approach to tackling crime in the community. The Chief will have significant experience bridging the gap between community members and law enforcement with demonstrated success in delicately and strategically balancing community outreach/education to establish trusting relationships with the department while also enforcing and upholding laws for all community members. The department desires a humble, genuine Chief- an honest and accountable leader that they can rely on. A faithful and loyal leader who will fulfill promises and commitments and ensure the continued implementation of valued and successful departmental programs and initiatives will garner the interest and trust of the community.  

Key Position Priorities: 

• Develop the FPD’s next strategic plan, focusing on crime reduction, employing resources such as the City’s Landscape Analysis report and recent crime data, and working collaboratively with key stakeholders.
• Identify and advocate, if needed, for solutions to staffing shortages, such as enhancements to recruitment and retention, a commitment to diversity, and training of young staff, as well as to morale issues, so that all employees feel valued, supported, and have the skills and capacity to succeed.
• Implement a successful balance among priorities of crime reduction, equity, and community engagement, including innovative approaches to policing and collaboration with community stakeholders to address issues proactively rather than reactively.
• Practice a culture of data-driven decision-making, accountability, and transparency to apply effective law enforcement practices and foster a sense of security and respect for both community members and officers.
• Model the qualities of positivity and emotional intelligence to imbue them in the Department from the top down.

Qualifications: 

The City of Fayetteville seeks a law enforcement leader with a minimum of 10 years of progressive law enforcement experience and 5-7 years of cross-functional and progressively responsible experience, including administrative and command work at the rank of Captain or higher; a BA/BS degree (Master’s degree highly preferred) along with executive law enforcement training (e.g., FBI National Academy, SMIB, FBI LEEDA, Administrative Officers Management Program, etc.) is required.  Candidates must have current certification as a municipal or local government law enforcement officer by his/her respective state or with no more than a three-year break in full-time sworn service at the time of appointment. Please note that North Carolina law does not recognize nor have a reciprocal relationship with Federal law enforcement certification. A valid NC driver’s license is required, or the ability to obtain a valid NC driver’s license within 60 days of relocating to NC.  

• Transfers:  In-state candidates may transfer their law enforcement officer certification to another agency in NC provided they have less than a 12-month break in service at the time of appointment. In-state candidates with less than a three-year break in NC service may receive partial credit toward basic law enforcement training.  Out-of-state candidates who are serving or have served as a local or state law enforcement officer must have completed a basic law enforcement training course accredited by the state from which they are transferring and cannot have a break in full-time service exceeding three years at the time of appointment.  Individuals with Federal law enforcement officer certification who have not had a break in service exceeding three years at the time of appointment may receive partial credit toward NC basic law enforcement training.  NC does recognize and give partial credit for military police (MP) training if the candidate has completed a formal military basic training program, been awarded a military police occupational specialty rating, and has served as a military police officer for no fewer than two of the five years preceding the date of appointment.

The Successful Candidate is: 

• a transparent manager who eliminates silos, delegates effectively without micromanaging, and fosters a collaborative work culture; 
• skilled in developing trust among members of the community and the police department while leveraging opportunities for collaborative problem-solving and partnerships;
• able to demonstrate personal responsibility and leadership initiative that led to crime reduction and strong community relationships in current or past positions; 
• an individual with impeccable integrity and a proven record of consistency in managing both internal and external relationships to mitigate challenges and maximize opportunities; 
• a leader who “walks the talk” on community-oriented policing strategies and initiatives both with staff and the community; 
• experienced working in a council-manager form of government and has expert skills in navigating the complexities of varying roles (e.g., need for building relationships, educating Council, clear communication, ensuring mutual trust);
• skilled in leveraging internal talent while closing gaps through engaging employees in training, development, and succession planning to improve retention and prepare for retirements;
• experienced across functional areas such as accreditation, patrol, support investigations, crisis units, or other specialized units; 
• consistently updating personal knowledge regarding public policy, public perception, and law enforcement trends and ensuring that knowledge is shared with stakeholders (e.g., Intelligence-Led Policing, Eight Can’t Wait, 21^stCentury Policing, Community Engagement and Involvement, pilot programs for non-LE response teams, COVID-19, management of protests);
• skilled in budget development and management, policy development and application, progressive policing strategies, and maintenance of effective service levels despite resource constraints;
• appreciative of the significance of diversity within all aspects of the department and community and has developed innovative solutions to attracting, retaining, and promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion; 
• an outstanding communicator verbally and in writing with well-developed interpersonal skills and abilities who effectively and proactively communicates internally and externally; and,
• goal-oriented, possessing high standards of self and others, thriving in a culture of high-performance expectations and personal accountability.

Salary and Benefits: The anticipated hiring range is $160,000 - $185,000. Extensive qualifications and experience may be considered to offer above the hiring range. The City of Fayetteville offers a comprehensive benefits package, including the outstanding NC Local Government Retirement system with vesting after five years. The city will consider relocation assistance based on personal circumstances.  

To apply, please visit: https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/developmentalassociates/

Please note the following:

• All applications must be submitted online via the Developmental Associates application portal (link above) – NOT the City’s employment application portal or any other external website. 
• Resumes and cover letters must be uploaded with the application. 
• Applicants should apply by March 13, 2025.  
• The hiring team will invite successful semi-finalists to participate in virtual interviews and skill evaluations on April 14-15, 2025. Candidates are encouraged to reserve these dates for virtual meetings should they be invited to participate. 
• Direct inquiries to hiring@developmentalassociates.com.

Developmental Associates, LLC manages the recruitment and selection process for this position. To learn more about our selection process, visit https://developmentalassociates.com/client-openings/and scroll down to "Important Information for Applicants."

Note: There will be a virtual discussion on Wednesday, February 26, 2025, at 5 PM led by Manager Doug Hewett and Chief Braden about this opportunity that candidates can view at the following link. If you are interested in anonymity, please make sure you manage your title on the Zoom platform prior to entering the session. You will be able to submit questions to Mr. Hewett and Chief Braden during the session if you so desire.