Summary

The Town of Chapel Hill, NC, a thriving multicultural University town, seeks an Assistant Chief of Police (ACOP) to join its progressive police department. The department desires a law enforcement professional who:

• 
  recognizes that law enforcement agencies and communities are experiencing stressors that require proactive and innovative leadership;
• understands that department morale drives recruitment, retention, and excellence in service delivery and actively works to establish and maintain a positive working culture;
• applies an equity lens that infuses principles of diversity, inclusion, and belonging from program conception through decision-making and implementation;
• demonstrates operational leadership skills and enjoys developing officers for their next role.

The next Chapel Hill ACOP will support the department’s commitment to growing and strengthening community relationships and partnerships. The ACOP must embrace and uphold the department’s holistic approach to policing – a community-oriented and problem-oriented policing philosophy that permeates all levels of the organization and continues to build community trust. The next ACOP is known for their impeccable interpersonal skills - an approachable leader who is fair and equitable in their interactions with all staff and stakeholders. The ACOP must have a track record of training, mentoring, and developing officers in their technical skills and for career advancement.

About the Community:
The Town of Chapel Hill, founded in 1819 and chartered in 1851, was named for the Church of England New Hope Chapel, which once stood atop the hill’s crossroads. Chapel Hill, with a population over 60,000, frequently appears in national “best place to live” listings and was also recognized as one of the best towns in the U.S. by the Guardian. As home to the nation's first public institution of higher learning and a lively and successful Tar Heel sports program, Chapel Hill is a picturesque community of 21 square miles filled with trees, historic and mid-century architecture, and a thriving downtown.
Chapel Hill is a recognized pioneer in education, research, and innovation – a place where ideas are born. Home to brilliant minds, award-winning restaurants, innovative businesses, highly rated public schools, museums, galleries, festivals and athletic events, and a vibrant music and performing arts scene, community members and visitors have an abundance of opportunities in this creative town. The Town’s fare free transit system provides community members with accessible transportation.
Town community members, who are passionate about supporting the Tar Heels and showcasing their Carolina Blue, are equally passionate about equity and inclusion, environmental sustainability, and community character. Our community enjoys pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods, greenways, and trails, and more than 700 acres of parks and open space. Lovely in springtime with woodland wildflowers, greenways and trails, dazzling gardens with azaleas blooming in multicolor, Chapel Hill clearly has a thing for nature.
Located in the beautiful piedmont region of central North Carolina, Chapel Hill sits within a few hours of the coast and the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains and is less than a 30-minute drive from Research Triangle Park and the RDU International Airport. Our major employers are the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, UNC Health Care, Chapel Hill/Carrboro City Schools and Blue Cross/Blue Shield of NC. These thriving institutions help account for a stable employment base that is consistently rated above state and national benchmarks. Our emerging entrepreneurial community is led by LaUNCh, an internationally recognized business accelerator program and collaborative venture of the Town, Orange County, and University. Demographically, the racial composition of the town in the 2020 census was 71% white, 14% Asian, and 10% black. About 7% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race.
About the Organization:
Operating under a Council-Manager form of government, the Town Manager reports to the Mayor and eight at-large Council members. The Town’s values – RESPECT (Responsibility, Equity, Safety, Professionalism, Ethics, Communication, and Teamwork) serve as a compass in accomplishing their mission and objectives. Furthermore, our values are reflected in our behavior and daily decisions. As a result, residents have consistently rated Chapel Hill as “high-performing” in biennial community surveys. Chapel Hill’s strategic focus including Environmental Stewardship, Economic and Financial Stewardship, Affordable Housing, Connected Community, Vibrant and Inclusive Community, Safe Community, and Collaborative & Innovative Organization is guided by the community vision established in the Chapel Hill 2020 Comprehensive Plan and is incorporated into the organization’s departmental business plans. The Town has an approved $129 million budget for FY 22 – 23 with 715 benefitted full-time positions and 200 non-benefited positions. More information about the Town can be found here.

To apply, please visit https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/developmentalassociates and click on the Assistant Chief of Police – Town of Chapel Hill, NC title. To learn more about the selection process, visit https://developmentalassociates.com/client-openings/, select “ Client Openings ” and scroll down to “ Important Information for Applicants.” All applications must be submitted online via the Developmental Associates application portal – NOT the Town Employment Application portal, nor any other external website; it is not sufficient to send only a resume. Resumes and cover letters must be uploaded with the application. Applicants are encouraged to apply by February 27, 2023. Successful semi-finalists will be invited to participate in virtual interviews and skill evaluation on March 29-31, 2023. Candidates are encouraged to reserve these dates for virtual meetings should they be invited to participate. All inquiries should be emailed to hiring@developmentalassociates.com. The Town of Chapel Hill is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Essential Functions

With a $12M budget and 109 employees (84 sworn and 25 nonsworn), the Town of Chapel Hill Police Department (CHPD) provides Patrol operations, Investigations, Traffic enforcement and education, Community Services, a Crisis Unit, Records Division, Legal Unit, Training Unit, School Resource Officers, K9 Unit, and Virtual Report Unit.

The Crisis Unit is a 24-hour co-response team that provides onsite emergency response with officers to individuals in crisis situations. The Crisis Unit was established in 1973 as one of the earliest examples of law enforcement and human services professionals working together. The Unit is composed of Mental Health Counselors, Social Workers, and a Peer Support Specialist.

The Town of Chapel Hill believes that transparency builds trust and is committed to accessible, accountable, and transparent government practices. As a result of the death of George Floyd, the CHPD swiftly built stricter standards of efficiency and conduct, while also increasing their legitimacy to the public and encouraging innovation. The department, which takes great pride in being the “Guardians of the Hill,” is often in the forefront of progressive policies and innovative services. The CHPD also works closely with The University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill, a key community partner to create an environment where students, residents, and visitors feel safe in the community.

Additionally, the CHPD prides itself on being a department inclusive of all and therefore, has various liaisons that partner with divisions within the police department to fairly and equitably address issues affecting several minority groups including Latinos and the LGBTQ community. The Hispanic/Latino Community Liaison Officer seeks to connect with the Latino population, the fastest growing minority in NC, which is steadily growing in the town and surrounding areas. The department also has a LGBTQ+ Police Liaison who serves as a liaison between the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) community and the CHPD. The Liaison provides community members with a point of contact for addressing and elevating the concerns of the LGBTQ+ community related to public safety and policing.

The CHPD works closely with the Criminal Justice Resource Department (CJRD) which was strategically developed to safely reduce unnecessary pretrial incarceration, increase jail alternatives and diversion opportunities, reduce the number of individuals with behavioral health issues facing justice involvement and incarceration, reduce recidivism, reduce racial and economic disparities, and increase public safety by providing treatment and support for individuals involved in Orange County’s criminal legal system.

Reporting to the Chief of Police, the ACOP is responsible for directing staff, policy development, program planning, fiscal management, and operational and strategic oversight of the department. As a strong advocate, the ACOP will evaluate and improve resources and support for department staff. The ACOP will be a supportive leader and mentor who will motivate and develop others through relationship building, and demonstrate a commitment to the ongoing health and wellness of employees. The successful candidate is a natural collaborator, a leader who will pursue opportunities to improve and enhance the department through partnerships and be guided by the departments values and mission to shape their decision making. Further, the ideal ACOP is well versed in policing methods and trends and intentionally introduces emerging technologies and methodologies to support the current and future needs of the department.

Key Position Responsibilities and Priorities:

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  Manage daily law enforcement and administrative operations, take command during major incidents and serve as a liaison between the department and local, state, and federal agencies
• Serve as primary advisor to the Chief of Police with formulating policy and procedures, making recommendations, and representing the department in the community and in the Chief’s absence.
• Lead and collaborate coordinated activities with other town departments, other law enforcement agencies, and community organizations.
• Implement creative strategies to improve recruitment and retention efforts, succession planning, and enhance the department’s training and professional development initiatives.
• Assess opportunities for specialized assignments that align with the needs and desires of the community and stakeholders.
• Build intentional and trusting relationships with community stakeholders and enhance the understanding and support of the department and its staff within the community.

Qualifications:
The Town seeks a public safety executive with a minimum of 10 years progressive law enforcement experience and 5-7 years of cross-functional and progressively responsible experience including administrative and command work at rank of Captain equivalent or higher; a BA/BS degree in public administration, law enforcement administration or related field is required. Master's degree preferred. Evidence of collaboration across public safety disciplines required. Strong preference for executive law enforcement training (e.g. FBI National Academy, Administrative Officers Management Program, LEEP, etc.).

Minimum Qualifications

The Successful Candidate is:

• 
  skilled in developing trust among members of the community and the police department while leveraging opportunities for collaborative problem solving and partnerships;
• 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 with a collaborative approach to 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);
• experienced across functional areas such as patrol, support investigations, crisis units, or other specialized units;
• knowledgeable regarding the use of intelligence-led policing and technology to predict and prevent crime, geographic service areas, problem oriented and community oriented policing;
• adept in utilizing crime data statistics and other performance metrics to evaluate operations, identify trends, develop benchmarks and measure performance and achievement of established policing goals;
• consistently updating personal knowledge regarding public policy, public perception, and law enforcement trends and ensuring that knowledge is shared with stakeholders
• skilled in budget development and management, policy development and application, progressive policing strategies and maintenance of effective service levels despite resource constraints;
• knowledgeable 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; and,
• goal oriented; thrives in a culture of high-performance expectations and personal accountability and has a track record of developing the same departmental standards as a highly accomplished Police service leader.

Salary and Benefits: The hiring range for the position is $109,074 - $141,955. The Town’s excellent benefits package can be viewed here.

To apply, please visit https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/developmentalassociates and click on the Assistant Chief of Police – Town of Chapel Hill, NC title. To learn more about the selection process, visit https://developmentalassociates.com/client-openings/, select “ Client Openings ” and scroll down to “ Important Information for Applicants.” All applications must be submitted online via the Developmental Associates application portal – NOT the Town Employment Application portal, nor any other external website; it is not sufficient to send only a resume. Resumes and cover letters must be uploaded with the application. Applicants are encouraged to apply by February 27, 2023. Successful semi-finalists will be invited to participate in virtual interviews and skill evaluation on March 29-31, 2023. Candidates are encouraged to reserve these dates for virtual meetings should they be invited to participate. All inquiries should be emailed to hiring@developmentalassociates.com. The Town of Chapel Hill is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

The recruitment and selection process are being managed by Developmental Associates, LLC