What are the responsibilities and job description for the Chief of Police - City of Asheville, NC position at Developmental Associates, LLC?
Applicants must apply by July 31, 2026
The historic, progressive, and eclectic City of Asheville, North Carolina—nestled in the heart of the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains—seeks a seasoned, strategic, and collaborative law enforcement executive to serve as its next Chief of Police.
The Asheville Police Department (APD) is a premier agency with a proud reputation for technology innovation and progressive community-focused policing. The next Chief will step into this leadership role at a defining moment for both the agency and the community. Moving forward from the lingering structural and fiscal impacts of 2024’s Hurricane Helene, the next Chief must balance immediate operational action with long-term organizational sustainability.
The ideal candidate is a champion of team-based decision-making who values transparent communication, holds a deep appreciation for diverse populations, and can masterfully navigate complex community expectations under close public scrutiny. This leader must show a genuine passion for the city and step into the role without a pre-set personal agenda. Additionally, Asheville’s next Chief will spend significant time listening to various personnel and neighborhood stakeholders to keep Asheville progressing towards its vision as an inclusive, connected and engaged community where everyone has access to economic opportunity, housing stability, and core municipal services.
About the Community
Serving as the county seat of Buncombe County, Asheville is the regional hub of Western North Carolina with a resident population of approximately 93.750 that swells daily to support over 190,000 workers and nearly 14 million annual tourists.
Asheville is globally celebrated for its breathtaking scenery, progressive culture, vibrant culinary scene, and historic milestones like the iconic Biltmore Estate. Known widely as "Beer City USA," the community thrives on robust civic engagement and active neighborhood networks. Asheville’s many accolades include:
- 2026 EatingWell’s Best Wellness Town in America
- Ranked #3 in Domestic Travel Destinations
- One of the Top 50 Places to Travel in 2026
The city hosts top-tier post-secondary educational institutions, including the University of North Carolina at Asheville (UNC Asheville) and Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College. Neighboring institutions include Mars Hill University, Montreat College, Warren Wilson College, and Western Carolina University.
The community's resilience was thoroughly tested in late 2024 by Hurricane Helene. While downtown businesses and regional tourism are steadily recovering, long-term infrastructure adjustments, housing shortages, and regional mobility demands remain key drivers of local public policy.
About the Organization, Department and Position
The City of Asheville operates under a Council-Manager form of government, where the elected City Council establishes the community's policy vision, and the City Manager oversees daily municipal operations. Managing a comprehensive fiscal portfolio, the City maintains an annual budget of $275.8 million for FY 2026-2027 and relies on the dedicated service of nearly 1,300 full-time personnel distributed across 17 municipal departments.
The Chief of Police is appointed by and reports to the City Manager’s Office. Asheville’s Chief of Police manages an annual departmental operating budget of $41.84M and leads a dedicated team of 272 allocated personnel, which includes:
- 232 Authorized Sworn Positions, 191 of which are filled, and 11 cadets are in training. While there are 41 total vacancies, recruitment is scheduled for 26 funded positions in FY27.
- 40 Authorized Professional Staff (100% filled with 0 vacancies).
The Chief exercises direct leadership over the: Administration Bureau Deputy Chief, Operations Bureau Deputy Chief, Professional Standards Lieutenant, and an Executive Assistant. Structurally, the department provides comprehensive public safety services across four primary divisions: Administration, Patrol, Criminal Investigations, and Community Engagement (currently realigning as the Specialized Operations Division). The department also conducts a Citizens Police Academy and a Junior Police Academy that connects with teens in the community.
The Asheville Police Department values transparency, as evidenced through its data dashboards, providing the public with current and historical crime conditions in the community. Data dashboards are accessible on the city’s website here. The department utilizes Automatic License Plate Reader (ALPR) technology to enhance public safety and investigative capabilities. In cooperation with the Asheville Fire Department, APD utilizes Drone Technology to assist with search and rescue efforts. The use of drones was critical during the department’s response to Hurricane Helene to locate people after the storm.
Key Position Priorities
The incoming Chief of Police must focus on several critical internal and external challenges over the next 1 to 3 years:
- Drive Cultural Excellence: Lead the department into its next chapter by championing internal trust, empowering staff, and establishing a foundation of consistent, supportive leadership.
- Workforce Stabilization and Strategic Retention: Focus on addressing staffing by developing robust strategies to retain current officers and deploying targeted recruitment initiatives to attract high-quality, diverse candidates who reflect the Asheville community.
- Enhance Strategic Collaboration: Partner with other City departments and community stakeholders to co-create proactive strategies that enhance overall public safety. Align City resources with neighborhood voices to address local challenges and foster a safer environment for all residents.
- Cultivate Political and Institutional Capital: Quickly build trust and strong communication channels with the City Manager, city staff, and an evolving political landscape.
- Community-Centered Response to Homelessness: Collaboratively address intense downtown business and community concerns regarding the unhoused population, utilizing behavioral health partnerships and modern co-responder service delivery models.
- Enhance Neighborhood Safety and Well-being: Partner with individual and organizational stakeholders to re-establish a dedicated Housing Authority team to focus on community-based policing, engagement with property managers, residents and resident councils, and collaborative problem-solving strategies to reduce crime and foster safe, thriving neighborhoods.
Qualifications
Minimum Qualifications
- A bachelor’s degree in criminal justice, public administration, or a closely related field.
- At least 10 years of progressive professional law enforcement experience, with a minimum of 5 years at a command executive level (e.g., Chief, Assistant Chief, Deputy Chief, Captain, or equivalent command rank).
- An active Law Enforcement Certification from the North Carolina Criminal Justice Education and Training Standards Commission (or the immediate ability to obtain certification via reciprocity).
Preferred Qualifications
- A master’s degree in public administration (MPA), criminal justice, business administration (MBA), or a related discipline.
- Graduation from premier executive leadership programs such as the FBI National Academy, Southern Police Institute (SPI), or the UNC Chapel Hill School of Government Municipal/County Administration Course.
- A proven track record of sustaining cutting-edge public safety technology platforms amidst fiscal limitations.
Please note: Residency within Asheville’s city limits is strongly preferred for this position.
Transfers: In-state candidates may transfer their law enforcement officer certification to another agency in NC provided he/she has less than a 12-month break in service at time of appointment. In-state candidates with less than a three-year break in NC service may receive partial credit toward basic law enforcement training. Out-of-state candidates who are serving or have served as a local or state law enforcement officer must have successfully completed a basic law enforcement training course accredited by the state from which they are transferring and cannot have a break in full-time service exceeding three years at the time of appointment. Individuals with Federal law enforcement officer certification who have not had a break in service exceeding three years at the time of appointment may receive partial credit toward NC basic law enforcement training. NC does recognize and give partial credit for military police (MP) training if the candidate has completed a formal military basic training program and been awarded a military police occupational specialty rating and has served as a military police officer for not less than two of the five years preceding the date of appointment.
The Successful Candidate:
- Values a Team Approach: Adopts and leads a collaborative team that respects and utilizes the institutional knowledge of existing staff to build sustainable, compliant policies and processes.
- Fiscal Acumen: Demonstrates experience in public-sector budgeting, capital planning, and grant management planning.
- Listens First: Establishes organizational trust by executing a "listen-first" strategy—gathering diverse perspectives from all ranks and community groups before deploying large-scale programmatic changes.
- Visible and Approachable: Maintains a consistent, proactive physical presence across all operational shifts, patrol districts, and neighborhood centers.
- Maintains Composure and Empathy: Leverages emotional intelligence and professional tact to manage high-friction public forums, resident activism, and critical incidents. Understands that the role extends beyond law enforcement to serve as a key stakeholder within the larger City of Asheville organization; breaks down departmental silos to partner on city-wide initiatives and community-driven solutions.
Salary and Benefits: The hiring range for this position is $137,732 to-$206,598. The starting salary is based on experience and qualifications. The City of Asheville offers a competitive benefits package that includes paid medical, dental and vision insurance, paid vacation and sick leave, parental and family care leave and other benefits which can be viewed on its website.
How to Apply
To apply, please visit https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/developmentalassociates and click on the Chief of Police – City of Asheville, NC title.
Please Note:
- All applications must be submitted online through the Developmental Associates portal (link above) —NOT the city’s employment application portal or any other external website.
- Resumes and cover letters must be uploaded with the application.
- Applications should apply by July 31, 2026.
- Successful semi-finalists will be invited to participate in intensive virtual skill evaluations on August 24-25, 2026. Candidates are encouraged to reserve these dates for virtual meetings should they be invited to participate. Finalist interviews will take place in person in Asheville shortly thereafter.
- Direct inquiries to: hiring@developmentalassociates.com.
The City of Asheville, NC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The recruitment and selection process is being managed by Developmental Associates, LLC. To learn more about our selection process, visit https://developmentalassociates.com/client-openings/, select "Client Openings," and scroll down to "Important Information for Applicants."
Salary : $137,732 - $206,598