Public Radio for the Piedmont and High Country
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Graham Police Chief Kristy Baker to retire, interim begins Aug. 1

Graham Police Chief Kristy Baker
City of Graham
Graham Police Chief Kristy Baker is retiring Aug. 1, 2025.

The City of Graham’s police chief is retiring Friday.

Police Chief Kristy Baker is leaving her post after more than 28 years of service with the Graham Police Department.

In a video posted on Facebook, Baker said she looks forward to seeing the next administration take creative approaches to solving issues in the community and within the department.

“I think it's about timing, and I think it's about knowing when the department needs something different and letting them move forward, and being excited to see where they go," Baker said.

The City of Graham says it’s seeking a “visionary leader with a commitment to professional law enforcement, public trust and strategic planning,” in the next police chief.

The city is taking applications through Aug. 15.

Chris Smith, former Burlington assistant police chief, will replace Baker in the interim.

Amy Diaz began covering education in North Carolina’s Piedmont region and High Country for WFDD in partnership with Report For America in 2022. Before entering the world of public radio, she worked as a local government reporter in Flint, Mich. where she was named the 2021 Rookie Writer of the Year by the Michigan Press Association. Diaz is originally from Florida, where she interned at the Sarasota Herald-Tribune and freelanced for the Tampa Bay Times. She holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of South Florida, but truly got her start in the field in elementary school writing scripts for the morning news. You can follow her on Twitter at @amydiaze.

Support quality journalism, like the story above,
with your gift right now.

Donate