High Point's search for a new police chief is underway. A public forum was held Thursday night to give residents a chance to say what they're looking for in a new leader.
Lee Bostic, a former High Point officer, was among those who attended. He says he wants to see a return to more visible community policing.
“We don't see police officers coming in and talking to the business owners," he says. "Some of the places I patronize now, they ask me, they say ‘Bostic, where are the police officers?' Because I used to go in and have a cup of coffee and talk to people in the community. But they say they don't see that now.”
Others said they wanted to see more openness and accountability from the department.
Thursday night's forum was held at the High Point Theatre. It's the only one planned for taking direct comments from the community regarding the chief search.
The search is being conducted to find a successor for Chief Marty Sumner, who is retiring. He joined the department in 1985 and rose through the ranks, becoming chief in in 2012.
The search for his replacement is being conducted by Durham-based Developmental Associates, which also handled the search for High Point's city manager in 2014. The nationwide police chief search is expected to take about three months.