Dayton Hires Police Chief!

Dayton hires police chief.

As the disgraced police chief Kamran Afzal leaves the Dayton Police for Greensboro, the city hires the assistant chief to be his replacement. The decision was inside and it was met with mixed results.

City manager Shelley Dickstein announced that Eric Anderson will succeed Afzal. The pick was easy sort of. They decided to focus on locality for once. Anderson who been in the department for 27 years will take on the tasks that Afzal failed at doing.

In his five years as Dayton Police Chief, the city has experienced a rise in car theft, vandalism, gun violence and police brutality. There were three incidents this year involving Dayton Police using force against people. Afzal was terrible, period.

No matter where he goes, trouble will follow. 

“Eric has broad and deep knowledge of the varied operations throughout the police department and a demonstrated ability to collaborate and build meaningful, strategic partnerships with community stakeholders. I am confident in his ability to work with any group that is authentically interested in continuing the work to make Dayton a safe and peaceful city for all,” said Dayton City Manager Shelley Dickstein.

The city convened a community stakeholder interview panel to ensure public participation which was facilitated by the director of the Criminal Justice Program at Cedarville University, Patrick Oliver, with leaders from businesses, neighborhoods, civil rights organizations, education organizations, nonprofits and community advocacy groups.

Henderson has served with approximately 365 sworn officers and 40 professional staff during his tenure with the Dayton Police Department. He has held several command positions, including deputy chief, major, lieutenant, sergeant, detective and patrol officer. 

Officials said he has overseen major operational divisions, directed emergency responses and led efforts for community-centered policing reform.

He has also served on Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost’s Blue Ribbon Task Force to improve police training standards and has collaborated with Ohio legislators on laws affecting public safety. He has also served on civic and professional boards, including the Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police Legislative Committee and Code Credit Union Board of Directors.

Kamran Afzal's will head to Greensboro.

In his new role as police chief, Henderson will oversee all department operations, including public safety strategy, crime prevention, emergency response, officer development and community engagement.

“As Chief, my focus will be building trust and transparency within the department and with the community through listening, communication, and accountability,” Henderson said. “Violent crime continues to cause generational harm to families across our city, and we will confront it by working alongside community members, the business community and our partners across all levels of government, using coordinated enforcement, technology and evidence-based strategies focused on those responsible for violent crime. We will also invest in our people, prioritizing wellness, building resilience, and ensuring our staff have the training and professional development they need to serve at their best.”

Henderson has a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from Park University; a graduate certificate in Criminal Justice from the University of Virginia; and graduated from the FBI National Academy. 

He will begin his new role on Thursday, May 7.

Greensboro, the Dayton of the South has gun violence, but a rapid growth burst.

Since North Carolina chooses to sprawl and rapidly develop around its natural corridors, it has become a viable state where the population has reached 10.3 million. It will surpass Ohio in 2028 in growth making it the seventh most populated state. It is at risk for catastrophic flooding, deadlier hurricanes, deadlier winter storms and deadlier tornadoes. The state has a deadly heat bubble. The invasive species like the African honeybee (killer bees), European carp, tiger mosquitoes and wild boars are bring dangerous diseases to the state.

Greensboro has a population of 321,000. It has grown so much, it has added new interstate freeways to deal with the rapid growth. The city has also a failed police chief.

The city faced controversy for picking Afzal over a well qualified Black assistant police chief who been with the agency for 20 years. Stephanie Mardis was overlooked for person who has a track record of not staying put for more than 10 years.