NORFOLK, Va. — Norfolk's City Council met Tuesday night for the first time since it was announced that Mark Talbot would be the city's next chief of police.
City Manager Dr. Chip Filer introduced Talbot, who is currently the police chief in Hampton, last week.
Following Talbot's selection as Norfolk's next police chief, quite a few residents were vocal about the decision at Tuesday night's meeting, calling for Filer to resign or be terminated.
The pick came after the city worked with a search firm for nearly a year, holding public forums and getting online feedback from residents about who they thought should fill the role.
However, some residents said there should've been more transparency.
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The Norfolk branch of the NAACP requested an immediate discontinuation of the current hiring process, citing a "lack of ethics and transparency."
"We demand that the Norfolk City Council vote to immediately remove Dr. Larry “Chip” Filer from his role as Norfolk City Manager," NAACP Norfolk Branch President Stacie Armstead said at Tuesday night's meeting.
Armstead spoke as members of other local NAACP branches stood in solidarity.
"We’re calling for public trust here tonight," Armstead continued.
Talbot had been on the city's search committee for the chief of police position.
Filer said he approached Talbot four to five days after interviews wrapped up with the initial three finalists, and Filer didn't know if the right person for the job was in the particular pool.
Filer said he asked Talbot if he wanted to apply, and afterward, Talbot submitted his application and went through the assessment process.
But some residents like Geoffrey V. Guns, Senior Pastor for the Second Calvary Baptist Church, said they're concerned about the decision-making process.
"This hiring was a complete surprise," Guns said.
Dr. Filer was not present at Tuesday night's council meeting. According to city officials, he's out of town on a pre-planned family vacation.
"He should be present to bear the concerns so that he can speak for himself," one Norfolk resident said before city council.
News 3 Anchor Zak Dahlheimer asked Dr. Filer about the process when Talbot was introduced during a news conference last Wednesday.
"The influence from the resident survey and from the town halls that we had had a massive influence," Dr. Filer said. "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, those traits that were said absolutely guided me towards Chief Talbot."
Norfolk City Council member JP Paige talked about Talbot's selection with News 3 before Tuesday's meeting.
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"We have to consider this is a gentleman that is highly regarded," Paige said.
Paige told News 3 he found out Talbot was going to be the city's next chief from the media.
"Of course, it was a surprise, with [Talbot] being on the search committee. But after considering a few things and talking to a few citizens, the focus is everyone in Norfolk being safe," Paige said. "I have seniors in buildings that are experiencing gun violence, with bullets going through windows where they sleep at."
Paige said the recent violence in Norfolk is his foremost concern.
News 3 tried to speak with Norfolk Mayor Kenny Alexander after the meeting about concerns from residents but was unable to speak with him.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the City of Norfolk told News 3 following Tuesday's meeting they received 32 responses from residents, either through email or the online portal opened in March, during the search process.
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