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Mayor Reed Names Finalists for Atlanta Chief of Police
Town Hall Meeting Scheduled for June 3rd at Civic Center
Mayor Kasim Reed has narrowed down the list of candidates for the Atlanta Chief of Police to three seasoned law enforcement professionals. This slate of finalists is the result of a three-month national search conducted on the City’s behalf by an appointed search committee. The Police Chief Search Committee worked with executive search firm, Russell Reynolds, and together they interviewed and recommended five candidates to lead the City’s Police Department.
After receiving the recommendations, Mayor Reed and Chief Operating Officer Peter Aman individually interviewed each of the final five candidates, and then narrowed the list down to three. The final three candidates that they selected for Atlanta Police Chief are Dr. Cedric L. Alexander, George N. Turner and Robert Crump White.
Mayor Reed will host a town hall meeting at 6 p.m. on Thursday, June 3, 2010 at the Atlanta Civic Center to introduce the three finalists to the community. The town hall meeting will be open to the public and will feature a Q & A session, where Atlanta residents, business owners and civic and community leaders will be able to ask the candidates questions. Shortly after the town hall meeting, Mayor Reed will announce his choice for the Atlanta Chief of Police, a decision which must be confirmed by the Atlanta City Council.
“Public safety is the number one priority of my Administration, and the Atlanta Chief of Police is a critical Cabinet position,” said Mayor Reed. “I want to assure every resident that this process entailed a thorough and thoughtful review of each candidate. We have narrowed down the Police Chief search to three results-oriented, community-building and committed law enforcement professionals who understand that this is a critical time for Atlanta. All three candidates have the experience and leadership abilities to help move the city in the right direction by establishing the best public safety practices for our residents and visitors.”
“I am confident that the efforts of our dynamic, diverse search committee and executive search firm, along with an open dialogue with the community during the town hall meeting, will ensure that we ultimately select the best candidate for the job. This has been the most open and transparent police chief search in the City’s history, and with a little more careful consideration, I am confident Atlanta will have the right person to lead our City’s police department.”
The Atlanta Police Department Chief Search Committee was chaired by Georgia State University Police Chief Connie Sampson, and included: Rev. Joanna Adams, Lou Arcangeli, Rosel Fann, Rev. Walter Kimbrough, Lt. Scott Kreher, Robin Loudermilk, Kyle Keyser, Tiffany Williams, Philip Rafshoon, Irene Richardson, Earl Williamson and Dave Wilkinson.
In alphabetical order, the three finalists for Chief of Police are as follows:
1. Dr. Cedric L. Alexander, United States Department of Homeland Security, Transportation Security Administration, Dallas/Ft.Worth International Airport
Alexander began his law enforcement career in the Sheriff’s Department of Leon and then Orange County, Florida before joining the Miami-Dade Police Department as a sworn officer of the Detective Bureau. He spent five years as an assistant professor at the University of Rochester Medical Center providing senior level administrative and clinical leadership over mental health services in the Department of Psychiatry. He then joined the Rochester Police Department as first a Deputy Chief and then Chief of Police. He served as a Deputy Commissioner for the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services before joining the Department of Homeland Security Transportation Security Administration and leading federal security oversight at Dallas/Ft.Worth International Airport. Alexander received his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from St. Thomas University and holds a Doctorate of Clinical Psychology from Wright State University.
2. George N. Turner, Interim Police Chief, City of Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia
An Atlanta native, Turner has more than 28 years of law enforcement experience with the City’s police department, including work as a family and youth services section police major, zone commander, human resources commander, police deputy chief, and now Interim Chief of Police. Turner is experienced in all phases of law enforcement including, administration, investigations, human resources, policy development, operations, support services, and logistical management. Since his appointment as Interim Chief in January, overall crime in Atlanta is down about 20 percent compared to last year. Turner also has proven success in community-oriented policing, strategic thinking and crisis management. Turner holds a B.A. in Criminal Justice from St. Leo University and earned a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Columbus State University.
3. Robert Crump White, Chief of Police, Louisville Metro Police Department, Louisville, KY
White, the Chief of Police of Louisville, Kentucky, has four decades of law enforcement experience. He has served as a Cadet, Captain, Inspector/Major, Commander, and has served as Chief of Police in two other cities: Louisville and Greensboro, North Carolina. He was the Assistant Chief of Police in Washington D.C. White is experienced in departmental reorganization, merging departments, strategic budget administration, crime reduction, program development (e.g.: Louisville Metro Police Foundation), police development, logistical management and policy development. As police chief of three large police agencies, White has a strong track record of thinking strategically, initiating programs focused on improving the quality of life for residents, and developing efficiency standards to ensure that resident concerns and complaints are handled appropriately. White received his Bachelor of Arts in Public Administration summa cum laude from the University of the District of Columbia and earned a Master of Science in Applied Behavioral Science from Johns Hopkins University.
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