After a national search informed by robust input from the local community, City Manager Debra Campbell is excited to announce that Chris Bailey will become Asheville’s next police chief.
Bailey comes to the City of Asheville from the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, where he most recently served as Deputy Chief of the Criminal Investigations Division. The Indianapolis force has 1,650 sworn full-time officers and provides service to nearly 1 million people. He is a graduate of Indiana University-Indianapolis and the FBI National Academy. His first day on the job as Asheville’s Police Chief will be July 29.
“Of all the very high caliber candidates who applied, it was clear that Chris Bailey understands the need for community connection and engagement,” said Campbell. “Chris has demonstrated his ability to connect with the community and his fellow officers. We fully anticipate an engaged and inclusive community-focused and connected police department under his leadership.”
Campbell also wanted to thank the many Asheville residents who, through their feedback, helped inform the profile for Asheville’s next police chief.
City staff held two community meetings, Feb. 5-6, to solicit the qualities Asheville residents wanted most in their next police chief. In addition, the City conducted an online survey and did outreach to residents in Pisgah View, Charlotte Street and Shiloh communities. Outreach extended to Green Opportunities, Asheville Mall and Asheville High School. After completing the job profile, staff held several meetings to share how community input was used to develop the profile. Find a full list of the engagement at this link.
Bailey is married to Dawn Bailey and they have three children.
“I am excited and honored to join the Asheville Police Department team,” he said. “My wife and I instantly fell in love with Asheville and its people when we visited a few weeks ago. I know I still have a lot to learn and I am eager to get started.”
The Asheville Police Department is staffed by 238 authorized sworn officer positions and 64 authorized non-sworn positions. APD is divided into two Bureaus overseen by Deputy Chiefs, the Administration Bureau and the Operations Bureau. The department’s patrol operations are decentralized into three geographic areas: Adam District (West Asheville), Baker District (South and East Asheville), and Charlie District (North and Central Asheville). APD deploys community resource officers in a variety of roles, from neighborhoods to our schools. The department also has a number of specialty units.
A community meet-and-greet will be announced at a later date on ashevillenc.gov.