The city of Greensboro announced in a press release minutes ago that it will name Deputy Chief Wayne Scott as the city’s next police chief at a press conference tomorrow.
Opponents of the decision have issued a call to action on Facebook for tomorrow.
Triad City Beat doesn’t usually post press releases, but we’re making an exception in this case. See below:
GREENSBORO, NC (March 11, 2015) – Greensboro City Manager Jim Westmoreland is set to introduce Wayne Scott as Greensboro’s 22nd police chief during a 12 noon media briefing Thursday at the Greensboro Police Headquarters, 100 Police Plaza. Scott is a 24-year veteran of the Greensboro Police Department, most recently serving as deputy chief since 2012.
“Wayne’s entire career leading up to this point has prepared him to be an outstanding chief for our community and I’m excited to announce him as Greensboro’s next chief of police,” says City Manager Jim Westmoreland. “Wayne’s overall vision for the department, significant police service and police leadership experience, familiarity with the department and community, and ideas and strategies to further strengthen police/community relations and to build trust, were all keys to his appointment. That experience will serve him well as he begins his new role and looks to move the department forward.”
During his introduction on Thursday, Scott will offer insight into his plan for progressive policing by continuing to build upon the strong foundation of work laid by the Greensboro Police Department while enhancing efforts to improve police/community interactions, transparency, and trust. Among the plan components, Scott will include:
Personally connecting with community leaders to strengthen relationships;
Continuing emphasis on diversity and implicit bias training for Greensboro police;
Recruiting a department that is reflective of the community;
Implementing the Neighborhood Oriented Policing plan to improve response times, provide proactive patrol, and increased community engagement;
Continuing high-level professional development and leadership training within the organization;
Developing and better promoting additional youth engagement initiatives;
Seeking new partnerships with faith, business and community leaders.
“Greensboro is a community where I am invested in its prosperity and success and I’ve dedicated the last 24 years of my life to serving its residents,” says Scott. “I am 100 percent committed to fulfilling the department’s vision of becoming a national model for exceptional policing through a commitment to excellence, selfless public service, and effective community partnerships.”
Scott joined the Greensboro Police Department in 1991, serving in positions of increased responsibility during his tenure. In 2012, former police chief Ken Miller promoted Scott to deputy chief where he led the criminal investigations bureau and the patrol bureau. Under his leaders as deputy chief of the patrol bureau, he oversaw the operational employment of more than 400 officers as they provided daily law enforcement support throughout the city. Scott’s previous assignments include: commander of the central patrol division, commander of the training division, traffic safety officer and crash reconstructionist, and community resource officer.
The City’s search for a replacement for previous chief Ken Miller started in November shortly after Miller left to take the chief’s post in Greenville, SC. Through the help of a national search firm, the process included a 30-day national advertising period that yielded 44 candidates for the position.
Of those, 15 were selected for phone screenings with the top seven identified to go through an assessment center process. That portion of the process tested the candidate’s policing, leadership and community interaction skills. Candidates were assessed by police chiefs from across the state along with members of community, faith, and business organizations in Greensboro that have high interactions with the chief’s position. The most recent and final portion of the process included the two finalists meeting with GPD officers and command team groups, a second group of community, faith, and business leaders, and one-on-one interviews with the City Manager.
About Wayne Scott:
Age: 45
Master of Science in Management, Liberty University
Bachelor of Arts, John Wesley College
February 2014-Present: Deputy Chief of Police, Investigative Bureau
April 2012-February 2014: Deputy Chief of Police, Patrol Bureau
April 2012: Promoted to Deputy by Police Chief Ken Miller
March 2011-April 2012: Captain, Police Training Division
March 2009-March 2011: Captain, Central Patrol Division
March 2009: Promoted to Captain by Police Chief Tim Bellamy
April 2007-March 2009: Lieutenant, Police Training Division
April 2007: Promoted to Lieutenant by Police Chief Tim Bellamy
September 2003-April 2007: Sergeant, Special Operations Division
June 2002-September 2003: Sergeant, Eastern Patrol Division
June 2002: Promoted to Sergeant by Police Chief Robert White
November 1999-June 2002: Corporal, Western Patrol Division
November 1999: Promoted to Corporal by Police Chief Robert White
June 1998-November 1999: Crime Prevention Officer, Western Patrol Division
January 1996-June 1998: Community Resource Officer, Western Patrol Division
June 1994-January 1996: Police Training Officer, Western Patrol Division
August 1991-June 1994: Police Officer, Western Patrol Division
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