See below for video of the new Richmond Police Chief, Gerald Smith, being introduced by Mayor Levar Stoney and then responding to questions from reporters yesterday. According to WTVR, “Smith, the Deputy Police Chief of Charlotte Mecklenburg County in North Carolina, will assume the role of Richmond Police Chief on July 1.” Also, according to Stoney, “Deputy Chief Gerald Smith is who Richmond needs right now – a reform-minded leader with deep experience in community policing and de-escalation.” We’ll see; Smith certainly faces a challenging situation, but for the sake of Richmond, let’s hope he succeeds.
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