The City of High Point has appointed Travis Stroud, a High Point native and longtime member of the police force, as interim police chief.
He is currently serving as a major in the High Point Police Department, where he works on deterrence and prevention of major crimes.
Stroud is a graduate of Appalachian State University and the FBI National Academy. He's been with the department for 25 years, during which he's commanded the Tactical (SWAT) Team, and the Vice Narcotics Unit.
He takes over the department during a challenging time for the city. High Point has taken some major hits during the coronavirus pandemic, with both the Spring 2020 High Point Market canceled, and its new downtown-based minor league baseball team without a season in just its second year.
Also, the threat of confrontations between police and demonstrators led to a city-wide curfew in the early days of the protests following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
Stroud will take over the duties from HPPD Chief Kenneth Shultz, who announced his retirement last month, effective August 1.