Final candidates make their case to be Raleigh's next police chief
RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- On Monday night, the City of Raleigh hosted a panel allowing the public to meet the three finalists to replace Police Chief Estella Patterson -- who is retiring on March 1 -- and ask questions for the next possible police chief.
The finalists for the position are Raleigh Police Department Deputy Chief Rico Boyce, as well as external candidates Sonia Russell with the Detroit Police Department and Joshua Wallace with the Chicago Police Department. The trio received applause as they took the stage Monday, answering questions that included solutions for gun violence, their respective leadership qualities, and tackling issues with officer retention and recruitment.
"The men and women of the Raleigh Police Department, I want to tell you this. You're not going to get a bigger cheerleader than Chief Rico Boyce," Boyce said during the panel.
Boyce, the only internal finalist, called himself the type of visionary, adaptable leader that the city needed as it grows. He also said his rise from a beat officer to deputy chief over his 25 years with RPD, and his knowledge of the city makes him a natural fit to be the next chief.
"I'm ready to go. I'm prepared, I'm battle tested, and I know what this city needs," Boyce said.
In a nearly 90-minute question-and-answer session, the two external candidates introduced themselves to city residents.
Russell, a 24 year veteran of the Detroit Police Department who commands the Crime Control Strategies, emphasized her track record of fostering positive change and her ability to lead by listening to the people.
"What is your expectation of me as a police chief? What do you need me to do? And I got to be willing to listen; listening is everything," Russell said.
Wallace helps run Chicago PD's Bureau of Counterterrorism. Wallace leaned on his 25 years on the Chicago force, many of them spent overseeing a unit on Chicago's south side, and focused on the need to leverage community resources and technology and get back to connecting with residents at their level.
"It cannot get lost that when they take off their uniform, when they go home, they're just as human as everybody else. They're facing the same problems," Wallace said.
After the panel, ABC11 spoke with the Raleigh Police Protective Association and Teamsters Union, which attended the event on behalf of RPD officers they represent. The groups said they support Boyce for the job.
"For us, we know that we can trust him. We've been around him for 25 years, he's someone we can trust," said Rick Armstrong with the Teamsters.
Matthew Cooper with the RPPA added that it was important to see what all the candidates stood for before the city manager makes her decision on the next chief by Saturday.
"Each represented their organization respectively very well, so it was a good opportunity to see what their plans were should they be elected chief," Cooper said.
About the Candidates
Boyce is a familiar face at RPD, having started his career in Raleigh in 2000. He has worked in multiple divisions and risen through the ranks.
Boyce holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice from North Carolina Central University and a Master of Business Administration degree from Pfeiffer University. He also attended the Administrative Officers Management Program at North Carolina State University and the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia.
Russell is a Detroit native and holds a Bachelor's in Criminal Justice from Michigan State University, a Master of Science in Administration from Central Michigan University, and received a Graduate Certificate in Business Administration from Wayne State University.
She has also attended Michigan's Chiefs of Police School, Senior Management Institute for Police (SMIP), and International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) Women's Leadership Institute. She has been very involved in community service in Detroit.
Wallace has more than 25 years of experience in law enforcement. In Chicago, he leads strategic initiatives that target organized crime, narcotics enforcement, and gang investigations. He oversees more than 900 officers across various specialized units.
He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy and has completed executive leadership programs at Northwestern University's School of Police Staff and Command, as well as the Senior Management Institute for Police. Wallace holds a Master of Science in Administration of Justice and Security and a Bachelor of Science in Law Enforcement Management.
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