NORFOLK, Va. – As Norfolk learns it’s getting a new chief of police, members of the Norfolk chapter of the Virginia Police Benevolent Association are discussing the next steps.
The chapter had a regularly-scheduled monthly meeting on Wednesday evening in Norfolk. This came just hours after City Manager Chip Filer officially announced that current Hampton Police Chief Mark Talbot will soon run Norfolk’s Police Department.
Detective Michael Lynch is president of the Norfolk chapter of the Virginia Police Benevolent Association. He said it’s been a long road to get a new, permanent chief, though he questioned the process in which Talbot was offered the job.
News 3 learned Wednesday that Talbot was selected despite being on the selection committee to review other candidates.
RELATED: A look at Hampton Police Chief Mark Talbot’s record as top cop
“How are we supposed to lead and serve the community and be transparent when the City is not?” questioned Lynch.
The detective said morale needs to be boosted, and he hopes Talbot will listen to the officers and partner together in making changes.
“It’s not the chief’s fault that he’s in that position. It’s the process that got him there that we had the issue with,” explained Lynch. “So as far as the chief goes, we as the Police Benevolent Association, want to build that bridge with him and continue to have a relationship so we can build this department.”
The top priorities, Lynch says, are intertwined: pay, morale, and leadership.
Regarding morale, he said more staffing would play into that. For example, more officers could translate to increased safety for fellow officers.
“Right now, you have all the officers spread out so your backup maybe 5, 10 minutes away depending on where they are in the city.”
As for the pay, he plans to bring up a pay scale at the next budget meeting on April 19 that he believes would incentivize officers to stay with the department.
Chief Talbot is expected to officially start as Norfolk’s next police chief on May 1.
