Baker to Announce Lopez is New Police Chief

	CITY OF DURHAM Office of Public Affairs 101 City Hall Plaza Durham, NC 27701 News Release	For Details, Contact: Amy C. Blalock Senior Public Affairs Specialist (919) 560-4123 x 253 (919) 475-7735 (cell) Amy.Blalock@durhamnc.gov
For Immediate Release: July 19, 2007

Durham City Manager Announces Next Police Chief Today

What: Press Conference Announcing Next Police Chief for the City of Durham

Who: City Manager’s Office

When: Thursday, July 19, 2007, at 11 a.m.

Where: City Council Chambers

101 City Hall Plaza, 1^st Floor

Durham , N.C. 27701

Fast Facts

· During today’s press conference, City Manager Patrick W. Baker will announce that Jose L. Lopez, Sr. will be the next police chief for the City of Durham . Lopez will be present for today’s announcement.

· Lopez will begin his new position with the City effective September 1, 2007. His annual salary will be $125,000. He was selected following a seven-month search process that included a public forum.

· Prior to accepting the police chief position with the City, Lopez has been the assistant police chief in Hartford , Conn. since 2006. Prior to this position, he served as the deputy chief of the Hartford Police Department’s South Division from 2006-2005. He has also served as captain, lieutenant, sergeant and patrol officer in Hartford, Conn. from 2005-1983; investigator for the New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety from 1983-1982; and as a military police officer in the United States Air Force at Barksdale Air Base, Bossier City, La. from 1980-1976.

· Lopez holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice with a minor in political science from John Jay College of Criminal Justice, New York, NY. He is also a graduate of the 183^rd Session of the Federal Bureau of Investigation National Academy, Quantico, Va.; the Supervisory Leadership Course at Tunxis Community College’s Criminal Justice Command Institute, Farmington, Conn. Lopez is currently a candidate in the Public Policy Master’s Program at Trinity College , Hartford , Conn.

Police Chief Search Process: Background Information

· The City of Durham initiated the search process for the next police chief in December 2006. Also during that time, the city manager began meeting with Durham Police Department staff to gather the departmental input on what qualities they want in their police chief.

· Ads were also placed in local papers of The Herald-Sun and The News & Observer. Ads also appeared on the City’s website as wells as International City/County Management Association (ICMA), International Association Chiefs of Police (IACP) and North Carolina League of Municipalities (NCLM) websites. Ads were also placed in the ICMA, IACP and NCLM magazines/newsletters.

· Approximately 60 applications were received from candidates interested in the police chief position. The City’s Department of Human Resources reviewed the applications and narrowed the field to 28. The city manager and the two deputy city manager narrowed the field to 12. The City’s Department of Human Resources then selected five candidates that were either selected by the city manager and the two deputies or were selected by the city manager and one deputy.

· The five candidates went through an assessment center on May 18, 2007. The assessment center activities were interviews by a panel of City directors and two regional police chiefs, interviews with the city manager and his two deputies and a written exercise. All activities were developed to gather information on the candidates’ knowledge, skills, experience, and abilities.

· From the assessment center, three finalists were chosen. Prior to the three finalists participating in the June 5, 2007 public forum, they also met with DPD command staff and other police personnel, the Durham City Council, the local media, and representatives from the Inter-Neighborhood Council of Durham and all five Partners Against Crime (PAC) districts. In addition, each finalist participated in a Justice Panel interview, with members from Durham ’s law enforcement and judicial community, as well as participated in a city-wide bus tour.