2 Bluffton police chief finalists meet some of the people they would serve and protect

With the deadline for naming a new Bluffton Police chief five days away, the two finalists for the job made their case before residents and officials Wednesday afternoon.

The candidates — Hendersonville, N.C., police chief Herbert Blake and Hot Springs, Ark., assistant police chief Christopher Chapmond — participated in the forum from 3 to 4 p.m. at the Rotary Community Center.

They answered questions from human resources director and moderator Katherine Robinson and residents before a meet-and-greet segment. A crowd of about 60 residents, town executives and the current interim police chief Scott Chandler attended.

Town Manager Marc Orlando — who is responsible for appointing and hiring the chief by a self-imposed deadline of Monday — introduced the candidates and said the public forum is important to the selection process.

“Today and now allows us as a community to have a conversation about what our community sees and needs to see in our police department and our new chief,” Orlando said.

After each candidate offered a brief biography, the question-and-answer session began.

Both candidates said there were many things that attracted them the job, including liking the area and moving to Bluffton to be closer to family.

Blake said this is his third time applying to be Bluffton police chief. He had applied in 2006, 2012 and again in April.

He said he’s had a passion for the area since working as a young patrol officer in Ridgeland almost 18 years ago.

“This, for me today, is a dream that’s just delayed ... Maybe the third time will be a charm,” Blake said.

Chapmond said he sees a great deal of potential in the department and wants to lead an agency on the cusp of greatness.

“This is the next step in my professional path, and I want to be a part of an agency that’s going to grow and experience greatness and do the things that others around them are looking to do,” Chapmond said.

Blake said his policing philosophy prioritizes service, safety and professionalism.

“We build trust by showing that we’re restrained, we’re disciplined and we treat people the way we want to be treated,” Blake said. “I’m an advocate for safety of police officers, but I’m an advocate of safety for our citizens.”

Chapmond said he has a four-step process for being a successful leader of a professional police department: a commitment to the community; policing the governing body of the city itself; being a sound leader of the department; and upholding the profession.

“As a police chief, you have a commitment to engage, to build trust, to be transparent, to be an open book,” Chapmond said.

Both candidates said they would be a proactive chief.

“I’m not the kind of police chief who wants to sit in the office every day,” Blake said. “I’m a police officer who has happened to be a chief for a very long time.”

He said he would delegate to officers where needed, but he wants to be out there helping, too.

Chapmond said a chief can’t successfully run a department by sitting in his office but must get out in the community to build relationships and get involved.

“The partnership between police department and the community needs to be worked on every single day,” Chapmond said.

Both agreed working with other law enforcement agencies in the area would be a priority.

Blake said, in Hendersonville, all local law enforcement agencies meet quarterly to talk and focus on a good working relationship.

“I think when agencies get together, look each other in the eyes and have these honest discussions on what’s going on and what we can expect, that builds the relationship,” Blake said.

He said he already knows many law enforcement leaders in the area, including Beaufort County Sheriff’s Department Sheriff P.J. Tanner.

Chapmond said building those relationships is important because when a crisis hits, it’s seldom that only one department handles it.

“I’d spend a great deal of time getting to know my partners because that’s how you’ve got to look at it, we’re all partners,” Chapmond said.

Both candidates said they’d accept the position if it was offered and commit to being chief for an extended amount of time.

Forms were available at the front door so attendees could anonymously offer feedback on the candidates after the event.

The selection process

Before Blake and Chapmond were named the final two candidates on July 6 by Orlando, they went through two other interview rounds.

Sixty-three people applied for the position from all over the country.

After applications were submitted, Orlando winnowed down applications to the top 30 percent for initial interviews.

He, Robinson and deputy town manager Scott Marshall were involved in those 21 interviews early last month.

The pool was narrowed to five finalists in mid-June. Those five had more interview time with Orlando, Marshall and Robinson but also met with Mayor Lisa Sulka, town attorney Terry Finger, Town Council members, a five-person citizen panel appointed by Orlando and police department chaplains.

The final round of interviews is scheduled to last through Friday. Blake and Chapmond will take a tour of Bluffton and have more interviews with Orlando.

The candidates at a glance

Herbert Blake

▪ Blake has been police chief in Hendersonville, N.C., since 2008, and manages a staff of 65.

▪ He previously served as police chief in Loris for seven years and as a patrol and support services lieutenant with the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office for four years.

▪ He trained as a law enforcement specialist with the U.S. Navy. He has a master’s degree in management from Webster University and a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice administration from Park University.

▪ He graduated from the 35th Management College of the Institute for Law Enforcement Administration in Plano, Texas; the Executive Management Program of Northwestern University; the Police Executive Development Programs of Penn State University; and the Public Executive Leadership Academy at the School of Government at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

▪ He also completed courses at the Executive Leadership Institute, the Supervisor Leadership Institute and the Command Leadership Institute of FBI Law Enforcement Executive Development Association.

▪ Blake has served on the adjunct faculty for business and criminal justice courses as several colleges and universities, including Western Carolina University, Coker College and Park University at the Marine Corps Air Station in Beaufort.

Christopher Chapmond

▪ Chapmond is the assistant police chief for the Hot Springs, Arkansas, police department, managing a staff of 145.

▪ He’s been with that department since 1996 in multiple positions including field operations captain, patrol lieutenant, coordinator of the 18th East Drug Task Force, co-commander of the SWAT, detective, public information office and incident commander. He has a bachelor’s degree in police administration from Columbia Southern University and graduated from Northwestern University’s School of Public Safety Command Staff School.

▪ He is a part-time instructor with the University of Arkansas Criminal Justice Institute and is a firearms instructor, a professional law enforcement instructor and a Civilian Response to Active Shooter Events instructor.

▪ Chapmond volunteers on the executive board of the Arkansas Association of Chiefs of Police as the Southwest regional vice president, is a member of the Hot Springs National Park Rotary and coaches and mentors young men in various organizations.

The predecessors

Bluffton has had two chiefs in as many years, and their tenure hasn’t been without problems.

Joseph Manning— who was featured on Investigation Discovery’s “Murder Calls” show last week in connection with an investigation the department did while he was chief— left the position in May after a controversial nine months. He accepted a job as police chief in Tennessee.

Manning replaced Joey Reynolds in July 2017 after the chief retired. Reynolds also announced his retirement amid controversy.

The town did not post the chief position publicly following Reynolds’ retirement, Orlando previously said. He said no other candidates were considered for the position.

The department was criticized over several issues while Manning served as chief, including overtime bills, officers accused of drinking on duty and an officer making an improper arrest outside Bluffton’s jurisdiction.

Reynolds’ retirement came as The Island Packet was questioning the department about extensive paid absences.

Chandler is currently acting as interim police chief for the department.

This story was originally published July 18, 2018 at 5:58 PM.