High Point To Hold Public Forum As Search Begins For New Police Chief

High Point's Police Chief is stepping down. Marty Sumner's retirement will end a 30 year career in Triad law enforcement.

Sumner, a High Point native, has been chief for four years. But his tenure with the department goes back to 1985, when he joined as a patrol officer. He rose through the ranks, being named chief in 2012.

That marked the first time in 20 years that a chief was named from within the department. The last in-house hire for chief was Jim Hoyng in 1992.

As chief, Sumner has continued the department's focus on repeat violent offenders and led a crackdown on heroin dealers after a wave of overdoses in 2014.

The city will hold a public forum to give the community a chance to say what it wants in the next chief. That is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Jan. 19 at the city's municipal building.

Durham-based Developmental Associates has been hired to help conduct a national search for Sumner's replacement. That's the same firm High Point used in 2014 to direct its search for a city manager.