HAMPTON, Va. — In the aftermath of Hampton Police Chief Mark Talbot's announced departure for Norfolk, the City of Hampton has announced their interim police chief as they search for a permanent candidate.
Hampton City Manager Mary Bunting provided an update to city officials and police officers Tuesday, explaining the process that went into finding a temporary replacement.
"As I shared previously, I was not expecting the Chief to leave our community so early, so I had a lot to process myself along with our valued community partners and officials," Bunting wrote. "Without a doubt, the Chief has made a lasting impact to our community and Division, and I remain proud of the work you all have done together over the last 18 months."
Talbot's last day with the City of Hampton is April 21.
Bunting went on to share that she wants "transparency" in this hiring process and that she consulted with others about reaching out to the former 2nd place candidate that was not selected when Talbot was to see if they still wanted the position.
However, that candidate was no longer interested due to "personal reasons unrelated to HPD."
"My plan is to conduct a community-centric process," Bunting continued. "My intention is to conduct the process as quickly as reasonably possible while ensuring that we get the best Chief available for our organization and community."
Details of the community-involved process are not yet known.
Bunting went on to say that she met with Deputy Chief Orrin Gallop and Assistant Chief Kenneth Ferguson to see if either of them were interested in the position.
While neither of the chiefs expressed interest in the position permanently, they agreed to fill needs temporarily.
Bunting appointed Deputy Chief Gallop as the interim chief, and Assistant Chief Ferguson as interim deputy chief.
A specific timeline for their temporary positions is not known.
"I have complete confidence they will ensure the organization continues our critical work without missing a beat.," Bunting wrote.