Fayetteville residents can meet 3 police chief finalists

FAYETTEVILLE, North Carolina (WTVD) -- Fayetteville residents will get a chance to kick the tires on the finalists for the police chief opening.

City Manager Doug Hewett has announced the three finalists for the position.

The finalists are Interim Police Chief Anthony Kelly, who has served as Fayetteville's interim chief since September 2016; Deputy Chief Gina Hawkins, who oversees the Support Services Command for the Clayton County, Ga. Police Department; and Deputy Chief James Hinson Jr., who oversees the Patrol Bureau Command for the Greensboro Police Department.

"We have conducted a very thorough search process to identify the best person to be our next police chief in Fayetteville and I believe the three finalists we have selected are all highly qualified and capable of leading our police department," Hewett said.

The City of Fayetteville is inviting residents to a community forum at 6:30 p.m. Thursday in the City Hall Council Chamber, at 433 Hay St.

Residents will be able to ask select questions of the candidates as time permits.

"I would like to encourage the public to come out to our community forum on Thursday to meet and ask questions of the finalists," Hewitt said. I am interested to see the interaction between the public and the candidates as we move to the final step of selecting our next police chief."

Residents can submit questions in advance through email here.

During the forum, the finalists will answer as many of the submitted questions as possible. Audience members at the forum will also have the opportunity to submit written questions, which will be addressed as time permits. Following the question-and-answer session, the public will have a chance to meet each candidate individually.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE FINALISTS

Interim Police Chief Anthony Kelly

As interim police chief in Fayetteville, Kelly oversees a nationally accredited law enforcement agency, which is currently comprised of 433 sworn officers and 187 nonsworn personnel and serves a population of 208,149 citizens. Kelly implements the current recommendations of the COPS Collaborative Reform conducted by the Community Oriented Policing Services Office and implements a community leadership training program through reality based training to include the faith-based community, which promotes transparency as it relates to the President's Task Force on 21st Century Policing.

Kelly has been with the Fayetteville Police Department since 1995 and risen through the ranks from patrol officer to sergeant to lieutenant to captain to assistant chief to interim chief. During Kelly's service as interim chief of Fayetteville, property crimes, which have dropped four straight years, have reduced by almost 12 percent in the first third of this year.

Kelly holds a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from Fayetteville State University. He graduated from the West Point Leadership program, held at Methodist University, in 2010 and the FBI National Academy in March 2013.

Gina Hawkins

As deputy chief of the Clayton County, Ga. Police Department, Hawkins has overseen the Field Operations and Support Services Commands for a county of more than 260,000 residents. She is a multi-faceted criminal justice professional with 28 years of comprehensive experience. Hawkins reports directly to the Chief and assists in planning, organizing, directing and overseeing all operations of the Police Department. She has performed all the duties and responsibilities of the Chief of Police in his absence, by serving as Acting Chief of Police. She assisted in establishing goals and objectives, maintaining the department's annual budget ($38 million) and establishing rules and procedures. She evaluated the operations of the Police Department and made recommendations for repressing criminal activity, preventing crime and maintaining order within the community.

Hawkins holds a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from Georgia State University and a Master of Science in Management from Johns Hopkins University. She is a graduate of the Senior Management Institute for Police (SMIP) at Boston University and is also a graduate of the FBI National Academy. Hawkins was chosen to be a delegate in the prestigious 23rd Georgia International Law Enforcement Exchange (GILEE), traveling to Israel with other law enforcement executives to study and evaluate the Israeli Police Force.

James Hinson Jr

As deputy chief of Greensboro, James Hinson, Jr. serves as the Patrol Bureau Commander for a city of more than 280,000 people. With a staff of 465 sworn officers and 40 unarmed/armed company police, Hinson oversees the needs of the public by ensuring officers respond to calls for service, in conjunction with thoroughly investigating criminal offenses that occur within Greensboro city limits, along with maintaining a visible presence in the community. He is responsible for strategically administering a budget of $31 million as it pertains to wages, maintenance and operating cost.

Hinson joined the Greensboro Police Department in 1991. He most recently served as the Commanding Officer of Eastern Division. His previous assignments included Executive Officer of the Special Operations Division in District I, III and Operational Support and as Watch Commander. Hinson developed a multi-faceted work plan to address violent and property crime, initiated a program to address criminal activity among youth in the downtown area and expanded the Residential Burglary Offender Program, all of which reduced crime in their respective categories.

He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Industrial Technology Manufacturing Systems from North Carolina A & T State University and a master's degree in Liberal Studies from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He is a 2012 graduate of the Senior Management Institute for Police (SMIP) at Boston University.