Chief of Police - City of Spartanburg, SC

Developmental Associates•Spartanburg, SC

4d•Onsite

About The Position

The City of Spartanburg, South Carolina, is seeking a strategic, community-oriented, and forward-thinking executive to serve as its next Chief of Police during a transformative period for the city and department. This is an opportunity to lead a respected department with a strong foundation, supportive local leadership, and positive community relationships while helping shape the future of public safety in one of South Carolina’s fastest-growing and most dynamic cities. The ideal candidate is a confident advocate who successfully communicates and champions for their employees and department, effectively enforces accountability, and upholds professionalism. In their next Chief, City leaders desire a credible law enforcement professional who has demonstrated successful experience with and the desire to strengthen partnerships with City Council, community leaders, and regional agencies. The next Chief will inherit a department with many strengths, including a dedicated workforce, strong community support, supportive City leadership, and a positive reputation. Spartanburg’s Chief will have the opportunity to make a big difference – guiding strategic improvements in structure, leadership development, and technology. A thoughtful, adaptive leadership approach is desired to help the department and city navigate increased pressure from rapid population growth, increasing service demands, staffing shortages, and community public safety challenges such as youth violence, homelessness, and mental health-related calls. The next Chief is highly skilled in balancing strategic planning to address complex public safety challenges while prioritizing and maintaining strong community relationships and public trust. The City of Spartanburg operates under the Council-Manager form of government and is governed by a mayor and a six-member City Council representing districts throughout the city. With an adopted FY 2025–2026 budget of approximately $56 million and more than 400 employees, the City continues to position itself as one of South Carolina’s most dynamic and rapidly growing communities. Guided by the collaborative vision reflected in its “Many Voices, One Vision” comprehensive planning initiative, Spartanburg emphasizes community engagement, neighborhood investment, inclusive growth, and responsive local government. City leadership has helped drive significant reinvestment in downtown Spartanburg, neighborhood revitalization efforts, economic development, and public infrastructure while maintaining a strong focus on quality of life and long-term community sustainability. The Spartanburg Police Department is a CALEA-accredited law enforcement agency committed to “Serving a Safe & Vibrant City” through professional, responsive, and community-oriented policing. Serving one of South Carolina’s most dynamic communities, the department emphasizes strong partnerships with residents, businesses, schools, and community organizations to enhance quality of life and maintain public trust. Organized across multiple divisions—including patrol, criminal investigations, and traffic enforcement—the department provides police services throughout four primary patrol districts. The department’s mission, vision, and values emphasize integrity, accountability, respect, partnerships, and employee development while fostering strong, trust-based relationships throughout the community. The next Chief will lead the department from a purpose-built headquarters facility opened in 2023 adjacent to the downtown core. The approximately 40,000-square-foot building was designed around the operational needs of a modern police agency. Housed within the facility, the department’s Real Time Crime Center (RTCC) serves as the technology and intelligence backbone of the department's operations, functioning on a cloud-based platform designed to aggregate live and recorded data into a single operational interface. Integrating public and privately opted-in cameras, license-plate reader data, and officer and vehicle locations, the RTCC enables coordinated responses across agencies in real time. The department's broader technology portfolio includes body-worn and in-car cameras and a drone program, and the City has committed to continued expansion of technology-centered capabilities. Among the department’s goals for 2026 are enhancing community safety, strengthening public trust, and improving organizational effectiveness. Strategic priorities include expanding community engagement and transparency efforts, improving downtown safety and economic vitality, addressing youth violence through prevention and intervention initiatives, and leveraging technology through the continued expansion of the RTCC. Reporting to the City Manager, the Police Chief oversees a budget of over $16 million and leads an executive command staff that includes a Deputy Chief of Police, three Majors, and two Captain. Spartanburg’s police department features 117 sworn (authorized 128) and 19 non-sworn employees, and 4 part-time non-sworn school crossing guards. Spartanburg’s Chief will passionately lead the department with vision and intention, ensuring employees feel supported, valued, and aligned around a shared vision for the organization. The next Chief will work collaboratively with City leadership, businesses, schools, service providers, and community partners to address emerging public safety challenges across the city including youth violence and gang activity, homelessness, mental health-related calls for service, and increasing downtown activity. The Chief will lead the department in maintaining strong police visibility and community relationships throughout the City of Spartanburg. It will also be essential for the next Chief to expand the department’s use of technology, training, and operational resources to improve efficiency, officer safety, and long-term departmental effectiveness.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in criminal justice, public administration, or another relevant field.
10 years of progressive law enforcement experience across functional areas such as patrol, internal affairs, administration, investigations, etc.
Six to seven years of professional management or related experience in police administration.
Three to four years of related administrative supervisory experience.
Must possess current advanced SC LE certification or be eligible to acquire.
Must have a valid SC driver’s license or the ability to obtain a valid SC driver’s license within 60 days of relocating to SC.
In-state candidates with less than a three-year break in SC service may receive partial credit toward basic law enforcement training.
Out-of-state candidates who are serving or have served as a local or state law enforcement officer must have successfully completed a basic law enforcement training course accredited by the state from which they are transferring and cannot have a break in full-time service exceeding three years at the time of appointment.
Individuals with Federal law enforcement officer certification who have not had a break in service exceeding three years at the time of appointment are evaluated on a case-by-case basis by the SC Criminal Justice Academy.
Integrity, honesty, accountability, and “an ample backbone,” while being fair, consistent, and willing to openly support officers when they are right and hold employees accountable when necessary.
Strong communication skills, values the input of command staff and employees, and is confident enough to make difficult decisions while appreciating the value of feedback and different perspectives.
A “servant’s heart,” genuinely values Spartanburg and its people, and demonstrates a genuine long-term commitment to the community by being visible, accessible, and invested in the city’s history, culture, and future.
Supports employees through mentorship, leadership development, training, and coaching the next generation of leaders while helping employees feel appreciated, supported, and invested in the future of the department.
Proven leadership, strategic thinking, and adaptability, with the ability to approach complex public safety challenges creatively while taking time to understand Spartanburg’s culture, relationships, and organizational environment before implementing significant change.
Values professionalism, accreditation, and continuous improvement by maintaining CALEA standards, ensuring policies remain current, and embracing technology, innovation, and modern policing practices to take the department into the next generation.
Politically astute and collaborative, able to work effectively with City Council, the City Manager, judges, community organizations, and regional partners while advocating for the department, maintaining professionalism under pressure, and balancing competing community interests.
Understands the importance of community-oriented policing, cultural awareness, and police visibility, ensuring officers remain approachable, well-trained, and connected to the neighborhoods, at-risk populations, and communities they serve.
Decisive and solutions-oriented, with the ability to balance operational demands, organizational change, community expectations, and budget realities while pursuing partnerships, funding opportunities, and long-term organizational sustainability.

Nice To Haves

A master’s degree.
Executive law enforcement training.

Responsibilities

Provides visible, engaged, and accessible leadership both within the department and throughout the community.
Strengthen recruitment and retention efforts while improving morale, accountability, and employee wellness.
Builds trust through clear communication, collaboration, and strong relationships with employees, elected officials, and community stakeholders.
Successfully communicates and champions for their employees and department, effectively enforces accountability, and upholds professionalism.
Strengthen partnerships with City Council, community leaders, and regional agencies.
Guide strategic improvements in structure, leadership development, and technology.
Balance strategic planning to address complex public safety challenges while prioritizing and maintaining strong community relationships and public trust.
Lead the department from a purpose-built headquarters facility opened in 2023 adjacent to the downtown core.
Oversee the department’s Real Time Crime Center (RTCC) which serves as the technology and intelligence backbone of the department's operations.
Expand the department's use of technology, training, and operational resources to improve efficiency, officer safety, and long-term departmental effectiveness.
Strengthen recruitment, retention, and training through strategic efforts to enhance the police department’s hiring process while ensuring competitive compensation, benefits, incentives, and career and leadership development opportunities for staff.
Evaluate operational practices and organizational structure, including staffing capacity, to ensure the department is positioned to meet the City’s evolving public safety needs effectively.
Assess the internal needs of the department, including mental and emotional needs of staff, and utilize best practices to foster a cohesive culture with high morale, respect, and recognition, and a renewed commitment to one another and the community.
Enhance police visibility, community engagement, and trust across all areas of the city while maintaining transparency and accountability.
Gain insight into the community’s history, culture, and changing demographics – gathering data through active listening from stakeholders (employees, community members, city leaders, etc.) on the community’s needs, challenges and opportunities.
Work collaboratively to build a unified plan to address public safety challenges impacting the City.
Lead the department with vision and intention, ensuring employees feel supported, valued, and aligned around a shared vision for the organization.
Work collaboratively with City leadership, businesses, schools, service providers, and community partners to address emerging public safety challenges across the city including youth violence and gang activity, homelessness, mental health-related calls for service, and increasing downtown activity.
Maintain strong police visibility and community relationships throughout the City of Spartanburg.
Expand the department’s use of technology, training, and operational resources to improve efficiency, officer safety, and long-term departmental effectiveness.
Maintain CALEA standards, ensuring policies remain current, and embracing technology, innovation, and modern policing practices to take the department into the next generation.
Advocate for the department, maintaining professionalism under pressure, and balancing competing community interests.
Ensure officers remain approachable, well-trained, and connected to the neighborhoods, at-risk populations, and communities they serve.
Balance operational demands, organizational change, community expectations, and budget realities while pursuing partnerships, funding opportunities, and long-term organizational sustainability.