"It's always tough to get trust back after you have given it away," interim Chief Gregg Jarvies said. "It's going to be a challenge, one I'm willing to undertake."
The department is still operating under a cloud of suspicion since two officers were arrested and the former chief, A.C. Brown, resigned after he was seen shredding documents in his office.
Click here to read about that investigation
Cumberland County deputies are now in charge of patrolling Spring Lake's streets.
A community group is hosting Jarvies, who is the former Chapel Hill police chief, at a town meeting.
"Clearly we have got to make our case to the sheriff, the DA the state of NC that the people who go out and police for this agency are trustworthy," Jarvies said. "They are capable and they are trained."
Among the questions expected from the public, is how will the town pay for police officers while paying for Cumberland deputies who are currently patrolling the town?
The mayor and several other elected officials will attend the meeting and take questions.
The meeting begins 7 p.m. at the Spring Lake Town Hall.
