PORTSMOUTH, Va. — The big question in Portsmouth is, who will lead the police force next? City Manager Angel Jones makes the decision soon.
You may recall, former Chief Angela Greene got fired in November after a months-long saga in limbo. Greene faced backlash after charging several people in connection to a Confederate monument protest last summer. And in April this year, Greene filed a $15 million wrongful termination lawsuit.
Now, three candidates are moving through the interview process for chief. One of the steps includes a question and answer session with the community. The city held a forum for that reason Thursday night.
The three top applicants for Portsmouth Police Chief each carry decades of experience in law enforcement.
John Dixon was previously with Richmond PD. He then served as chief in Petersburg until he got fired in 2016. The reason why wasn’t made public, but his termination followed local controversies like missing evidence at his department and claims of unfair pay.
Dixon is now going for the chief job in Portsmouth. Dixon promises his department would build strong relationships with community partners and neighbors.
He said that officers should not only be rewarded for absence of crime, but also "it should be the reward of comradery, how you build a neighborhood, how they now enjoy the police enjoy being in the area."
Like Dixon, the other two candidates believe strongly in the entire community’s role to curb violence.
For Frank Williams, shaping the youth is a goal especially.
“It starts early. It starts with us. It starts with not just policing, but it’s a community thing. That’s why I’m going to sit down with you guys," he said, while motioning to the auditorium at I.C. Norcom High School.
Williams also says he’s gotten kids involved with athletic league programs. He’s currently a police captain in Jersey City, New Jersey.
Also in the applicant pool, Portsmouth Assistant Police Chief Renado Prince. He points out combined forces with the sheriff’s office to get guns off the wrong hands. There have been about ten confiscated in the last 30 days.
“Ten doesn't sound like a lot. That’s ten we don’t have to worry. It’s not a fast process, it’s slow. And we have not given up, we won’t give up. We’ll continue to try to get weapons off the street," said Prince.
The three hardly disagreed on any topic.
When asked whether they’d hire someone to specifically deal with mental health, all responded yes. They also agreed on mandatory training for use of force and de-escalation.
Additionally, every candidate emphasized the importance of extending resources for the homeless population. Williams called the criminalization of homelessness "nonsense." The other two candidates also shared the same sentiment.
The audience got to fill out a survey ranking their top pick. City Manager Angel Jones will take the feedback. She’ll make a decision soon on who to hire. Meanwhile, the interim police chief is Scott Burke.