NORFOLK, Va. — In the midst of unrest between communities and police nationwide, Norfolk Police Chief Larry Boone landed a spot on the Virginia State Crime Commission.
Governor Ralph Northam appointed him to the role, calling Boone a "reformer" who would bring "professional and personal perspective."
"Obviously, I was honored,” said Boone. He’s worked with the Norfolk Police department for decades and served as chief for the last four years.
His commitment and connection to the community caught Governor Northam's attention and Chief Boone said he brings a unique perspective based on personal and professional history.
"Being an African-American chief, I'm not saying there's anything special about me, but I do bring a different perspective,” said Boone. "I haven't always had the best experience with law enforcement. I have been arrested a couple of times as a juvenile."
With this new role, he said he welcomes any difficult conversations and he believes in helping develop the processes required, to create accountability.
Boone said there are several things he wants to do to make a change, with his role on the commission. He said that includes discussing police de-escalation, duty to intervene, and accreditation of law enforcement agencies.
"Some of these things are long overdue and are really simplistic to do, but it just takes more courage to do them."
When it comes to publicizing data on police use of force, Chief Boone said that's a conversation too.
"I welcome it and I think it's necessary and I think it's going to be mandated for all the state as well as all the country."
The bipartisan crime commission is made up mostly of state legislators and a few governor-appointed citizens. Previously, the Commission caught attention by saying it had no recommendations for gun control legislation after the Virginia Beach mass shooting.
Boone said he's a gun advocate, but he's done years of research.
"So our process is flawed,” he said. "A good percentage of them end up in the hands of felons who should not have had them to start with, and I plan on using the data that we collected here Norfolk over the last three years to help bolster that argument when it's necessary."
Nationally, police departments are seeing people resign, since the reaction to George Floyd's death.
"There are police chiefs resigning, retiring, every day now. I've never seen anything like it,” said Boone.
Boone said it's not just department chiefs… it's officers too.
"I've lost a few since the incident and I say that, because of you know, we have exit interviews."
He said his department has between 60 to 70 vacancies, right now, but he feels hopeful for the future of law enforcement, learning from the past.
"There will be another cycle of this and we will recover again,” said Boone.