CITY OF CHARLOTTESVILLE, VIRGINIA CITY COUNCIL AGENDA Agenda Date: December 5, 2022 Action Required: Approval of Resolution Consenting to Appointment Presenter: Michael Rogers, City Manager Staff Contacts: Michael Rogers, City Manager Title: Consent to City Manager's appointment of Chief of Police (1 reading) Background After a competitive procurement process, the City Manager contracted with POLIHIRE to lead recruitment for a new Police Chief for the City of Charlottesville in July 2022. A selection and interview process was held from August 2022-November 2022. The City Manager has now selected a candidate from the final three applicants, and requests City Council's approval of the said candidate. Discussion The executive search process was crafted to ensure that as much information as possible was gathered and analyzed to have the most comprehensive perspective to fill this important role. Several steps have led us to the point of being able to identify a candidate for the role. This included launching a community input survey, stakeholder interviews with members of the community, and key meetings with the rank and file of the Charlottesville Police Department prior to even creating a recruitment brochure to advertise for the open position. POLIHIRE COMMUNITY SURVEY In August 2022, a community survey was launched to solicit input from residents on the characteristics that should be included in the search for a new chief, as well as to mine out the issues that a new chief should focus on. The survey, open from August 1-22, received responses from 581 participants. Respondents were members of the City of Charlottesville's community, and all voluntarily participated in an effort to share their perspectives on the public safety issues facing their community and the attributes of a chief they believed would support our community's goals and values. Demographically, 75% of respondents were self-declared City Residents; 24% identified that they work in the City, and 8% stated that they own a business in the city. Key information from the survey included:  55% of respondents stated that a significant public safety issue was the lack of trust between the community and the police.  32% of respondents cited that there was an insufficient police presence  13% cited that slow response times were an important public safety issue to be corrected.  42% of respondents mentioned concerns over "burglaries and theft" while only 16% of respondents noted that "gangs" were an important public safety issue for them.  Overall, 27% of respondents reported being "satisfied" or "very satisfied" with the police department, while 34% reported being neutral ("neither satisfied nor dissatisfied") and 38% reported being "dissatisfied" or "very dissatisfied". Finally, survey respondents identified that the two most important leadership qualities in a new police chief were: "integrity" and "community concern". Further, the community indicated that having a "track record of building community relationships/antiracist policing policies" was the most important element of professional experience a new chief could bring to the City. IPOLIHIRE STAKEHOLDER CONVERSATIONS POLIHIRE then conducted one-on-one stakeholder interviews with six members of the Charlottesville community. The community members represented the City's nonprofit/human service organizations, neighborhood associations, public-private partnerships, and advocacy groups. Key issues they shared focused on  Supporting not criminalizing our unhoused community members  Having an innovative and visionary leader and department, specifically in the area of firearm violence where the interviewees are looking for a future Charlottesville where gun violence is rare and the approach to this issue is not just effective but is creative.  Having a more transparent department where clear, real-time views into what is happening in the community are front and center.  Returning to a time where police officers and residents know each other and cultivate mutual respect and trust - engaging in partnership over enforcement Finally, the stakeholders noted that it is important that the next Chief is committed to the community. CITY MANAGER MEETINGS WITH MEMBERS OF CPD The last step in the engagement process prior to the launch of the search was for the City Manager to engage with the rank and file of the Charlottesville Police Department. Over four sessions, the City Manager solicited their thoughts about the status of the department as well as what they would like to see in a new chief. The members of the department who attended focused on the desire for leadership and vision in the department, for the chief to be empathetic and supportive of the team, that opportunities for leadership be a focus of the new chief, and to have a leader who has both an internal focus but will also provide external support. SEARCH PROCESS Using the information gathered, POLIHIRE and the City Manager developed a recruitment brochure that was used to advertise the Chief's position. POLIHIRE screened 19 candidates and submitted five candidates for consideration. The City Manager formed a screening committee that virtually interviewed the five candidates and resulted in the selection of three applicants to move forward to a second and final round process. The initial interview process included members of the City staff, the Commonwealth Attorney, and the Chair of the Police Civilian Oversight Board. The second round of interviews was held in person on Monday, November 28, 2022. The interview portion of the round was conducted by two panels - one of which again involved the Commonwealth Attorney, various City Staff, and the PCOB; and the second made up of members of the Charlottesville Police department. Panelists scored the three candidates using a rubric prepared by the Department of Human Relations. A public form was also held in person that evening, which was facilitated by the Police Civilian Oversight Board. The forum focused on asking questions that were submitted by the community at large, with a priority placed on questions submitted by individuals who stated they were residents of the City of Charlottesville. The forum was also televised and streamed to provide access to the full community. SELECTION Using the information gathered through the entire selection and interview processes and the public forum, the City Manager worked to make a selection from the three finalists. That selection requires the approval of City Council. Alignment with City Council's Vision and Strategic Plan Community Engagement The search process included several elements of community engagement. This includes the August 2022 community survey, one-on-one stakeholder interviews, and the November 2022 public forum conducted by the Police Civilian Review Board where community-submitted questions were used to engage the final three candidates. Budgetary Impact n/a Recommendation The City Manager recommends approval of his proposed candidate, contingent upon the positive return of required examinations and testing. Alternatives The Council may fail to provide its approval for the City Manager's proposed candidate. Attachments 1. RESOLUTION Consent to Chief Appt