NORFOLK, Va. — Monday marked one week since Norfolk Police Chief Mark Talbot started as the city's new top cop.
Finding the next chief was a nearly year-long process.
Meanwhile, News 3 uncovered new information related to the search process and part of Talbot’s offer to become Norfolk’s Chief of Police.
These include Talbot’s formal offer letter to become Norfolk’s chief, and emails between Norfolk City Manager, Dr. Chip Filer, and the executive search firm, Morris & McDaniel.
Filer introduced Talbot, who at the time was Hampton’s police chief, as the new Norfolk chief on April 5.
“We’re going to work together, shoulder to shoulder, to make this city as safe as it can possibly be,” Talbot said at the April 5 news conference.
According to documents News 3 obtained in a public records request from the city, the introduction came almost a week after Talbot was sent a formal offer on March 30.
The letter states that the offer included an annual salary of $220,000, $25,000 to help Talbot move from Hampton to Norfolk, and Talbot being eligible for a $5,000 signing bonus.
Along with Morris & McDaniel, the search process also involved in-person and online public input.
In March, News 3 learned that the pool was narrowed to three finalists.
Filer told News 3 he approached Talbot, who served on Norfolk’s search committee, four to five days after interviews wrapped up with the three finalists, and Filer didn't know if the right person for the job was in that finalist pool.
Filer said he asked Talbot if he wanted to apply. Talbot then put in his application and went through the assessment process.
In emails between Filer and Morris & McDaniel News 3 obtained, officials with the executive search firm said they, “Subjected Mark Talbot to essentially the same screening and vetting procedures that other candidates had undergone.”
News 3 reached out to both the City of Norfolk and Morris & McDaniel for more clarity on what that entailed.
City officials said the process included a formal interview with Morris & McDaniel and completing an executive assessment with the search firm, answering questions prepared by city staff, and an interview with Filer.
“Morris & McDaniel put Chief Talbot through the same assessments all of the other candidates were put through,” Filer said.
Filer also wrote to Morris & McDaniel that, "While it took a strange turn," he knew the firm helped them "identify the right leader for the Norfolk Police Department.”
“Our residents told us they wanted somebody that had experience as a chief. They wanted someone with experience in an urban setting. They wanted someone very involved in community policing, strong emphasis on data driven police work,” Filer told News 3 in April. “Those traits that were said absolutely guided me towards Chief Talbot.”
After Talbot's introduction, residents, including the Norfolk branch NAACP, called for Filer to resign citing a, "lack of ethics and transparency."
After getting an allegation questioning the hiring process, Norfolk's City Auditor stated in a report Filer did not violate city code when hiring Chief Talbot.
When asked by News 3 at his introductory news conference about his goals for his first 100 days on the job, Talbot responded saying that included making sure there’s a focus on where there's a level of violence police need to put an end to in the city, and making sure resources are available.
