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A police chief search that city leaders described as thorough and deliberate has instead ignited backlash across Greensboro, where residents say the process lacked transparency, excluded public input at critical stages, and ignored a qualified internal candidate.
Tensions came to a head Tuesday night as more than a dozen speakers addressed City Council, urging City Manager Trey Davis to rescind his offer to Kamran Afzal, the outgoing Dayton, Ohio police chief. Nearly 50 residents packed the chamber in support, many questioning both the process and the timing of the decision.
At the center of the dispute is a hiring process that began in November with a national search and a series of five public input meetings, one in each council district, intended to gather community priorities for the next chief. While city officials pointed to those meetings as evidence of engagement, residents argued their input was never meaningfully reflected in the final decision.
“Decisions of this magnitude require not only transparency and adherence to protocol, but also meaningful community engagement,” said Monica Walker, president of the Gorrell Street Neighborhood Association. “Promises were made about transparency and accountability, yet these are precisely where the process appears to have broken down.”
Criticism intensified after Davis declined to publicly release the list of finalists or hold a community review before making his selection, which is a step some residents say they were led to expect. Davis defended that decision, saying confidentiality was necessary to protect candidates who were not chosen.
“Yes, there was conversation about whether we would have discussions with the finalist candidates. All police chief search processes are not cookie cutter,” Davis said. “We always consider the integrity of the candidates that are involved.”
But for many, the lack of visibility into the final stages of the search has eroded trust.
“We feel like our voices have been muted,” said Rev. Greg Drumwright, who also questioned why the city did not pause the process after a recent excessive use-of-force controversy in Dayton involving Afzal’s department.
Afzal’s selection was announced March 31, shortly after reports surfaced in Ohio that he would be leaving Dayton amid scrutiny tied to the fatal police shooting of Reginald Thomas, a Black man stopped for a minor bicycle infraction. The Dayton community was calling for his resignation following that incident. The timing of that news, coupled with Greensboro’s own ongoing conversations around police accountability, has heightened concern among residents.
“We are employing a chief that has lost the public trust of the community that he is currently serving,” said Drumwright.
Opposition to Afzal’s hiring began even before the official announcement, with protesters gathering outside police headquarters the night prior. Following Tuesday’s council meeting, community members held a press conference at Governmental Plaza and announced plans for a town hall as early as April 15 to continue organizing against the decision.
Speakers also questioned why the city looked outside the department, particularly when Greensboro promoted its last two police chiefs from within. Several residents voiced strong support for Assistant Chief Stephanie Mardis, citing her more than two decades of service and established relationships in the community.
“Assistant Chief Stephanie Mardis is not only qualified, but she is overqualified,” said community organizer Gene Blackmon. “Mardis has created trust. She has established knowledge, understanding, communication and transparency with this community. Black women are typically the most educated, the most qualified and the most overlooked.”
Despite the pushback, Davis stood firm, emphasizing his 25 years in law enforcement, including 17 with Greensboro Police, and calling the decision one of the most critical responsibilities of his role.
“Public safety leadership is one of the most important decisions a city manager will make,” he said. “And I need to make sure that people understand this decision is not made or taken lightly.”
Under North Carolina law, the city manager has sole authority to appoint the police chief. While council members did not engage directly in the criticism during the meeting, Greensboro Mayor Marikay Abuzuaiter made it clear to the crowd that the council supports Davis’s decision.
“That decision is made, and I don’t believe that is a decision that is going to be rescinded,” she said. “I know that there are people who are disappointed, but we did support the city manager who made that decision, and that is by state law that he’s given that authority.”
Afzal, who has more than 30 years of law enforcement experience, is expected to assume the role on May 13. Until then, Interim Chief Chris Schultheis continues to lead the department following the February retirement of Chief John Thompson.
