Greensboro seeks public comment in police chief search

The City of Greensboro wants public input to help in the search for a new police chief.

The process includes a series of virtual meetings that begin this week.

Greensboro officials say even before the job posting for police chief is crafted and advertised, they want to get feedback. Three meetings will be held on Zoom this month to collect that information — two this week and one on August 31.

Brian James announced his retirement in April. He now leads UNC police in Chapel Hill.

Teresa Biffle, a longtime veteran of the department, is currently serving as the interim police chief. 

Greensboro Assistant City Manager of Public Safety Trey Davis says the process also includes an online survey to engage the community.

“Some of the questions people will see are, 'What challenges and opportunities do you feel the next police chief will face?" says Davis. "Another question could be, 'What should be the top three priorities of the next police chief?' The survey also allows for a portion for comments that the person participating may have.”

Davis says as the candidate pool narrows, in-person meetings with the community will also take place. The online survey will run through the end of September.

The city has hired a consulting company to assist with the search and plans to fill the role of police chief by the end of the year.

Greensboro is North Carolina's third largest city, according to U.S. Census data. As of last week, police department officials say there were 26 homicides in the city. That's two more than the previous year during the same time period.

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