PORTSMOUTH, Va. — Portsmouth's new Interim Police Chief hosted a forum on Wednesday as fallout continues following the former Chief Tonya Chapman's resignation.
Interim Chief Angela Greene talked with residents about department updates and listened to citizens' concerns. The event was open to the public at the Portsmouth Police Department Training Unit located at 309 Columbia Street at 6 p.m.
The police department said the Chief's Forum meetings should be held monthly to encourage citizens to attend and become involved in policing efforts within the community.
Greene became the Interim Chief on March 18 when the former chief, Tonya D. Chapman, resigned.
On Monday, Chapman released a statement detailing how she was forced out of the position by Portsmouth City Manager Lydia Pettis-Patton.
The Interim Chief forum comes a day after concerned citizens packed a Portsmouth City Council meeting. Speakers at Tuesday's meeting laid into city council, the mayor, and city manager Lydia Pettis-Patton over Chapman's resignation.
On Wednesday, 13News Now reached out to the mayor, members of city council, and the city manager. They did not respond, with the exception of City Council member Bill Moody, who said he had "no comment," citing a city charter prohibits them from interfering in the appointments or removals of personnel.
Lavoris Pace, the Deputy City Manager said members of council will not discuss the matter.
"They’re just not gonna talk to you about that and they're going to take an exemption, as it being a personnel exemption," said Pace.
Chapman became Virginia’s first African-American female chief of a municipal police department when she was sworn-in in 2016.
The interim chief, Greene, was also sworn into the Portsmouth Police Department in 2016. She started her law enforcement career with the City of Richmond Police Department in 2001.