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southstatesville
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Posted 4:07 pm, 01/24/2019
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From WSIC
PRESS RELEASE
After an extensive hiring process, Statesville City Manager Ron Smith has announced the selection of David Addison, a captain with the Durham Police Department (DPD), as Statesville’s next police chief.
“Chief Addison has been with the Durham Police for 22 years and has moved progressively forward in that organization since he was hired,” said Smith. “He comes with a wide variety of experience and impressive ideas that I believe will be beneficial for both the police department and our community.”
Following the announcement of Police Chief Joe Barone’s retirement in September, Statesville retained Centralina Council of Governments (CCOG) to assist in the hiring process. “With their help, the City was able to facilitate a very public process that included surveying citizens, police department employees, and community partners. I greatly appreciate the community’s responses to the survey. Their input was invaluable.” explained Smith. “And although the comments were varied, it became obvious to me that the City needs a fresh look at its policing.”
Addison, 51, is currently the captain of DPD’s Special Services Division, managing a staff of about 70 that includes the Patrol Squads, Motorcycle Unit, Bicycle Unit, Canine Unit, Traffic Enforcement Unit and Investigative Unit. “His style is to be out in the community, sharing information, addressing issues and solving problems,” said Smith. “I heard that from everyone we spoke to who has worked with him.”
A native of Pennsylvania, Addison has an associate degree in engineering science from the Community College of Philadelphia and a bachelor’s degree in Information Technology from the University of Phoenix. He earned a law degree in 2016 from North Carolina Central University, and was admitted to the N.C. bar that same year. He also works an adjunct professor for St. Augustine’s University, teaching criminal justice and police science courses.
Outside of the police department, Addison is very involved in the community. He volunteers as an attorney for Legal Aid of North Carolina, and has served as chairperson and vice-chairperson for the Durham County Juvenile Crime Prevention Council and president of the Durham County Police Benevolence Association. His contributions to the DPD and the Durham community have earned him numerous community service awards and employee recognition honors.
Addison said he is very excited to be named Statesville’s Chief, adding, “I did my research on this community and there are a lot of great things going on here.” He will begin his duties in Statesville on Feb. 11, 2019. “And first of all, I want to meet the officers and get to know the community where they are. I want to establish open lines of communication from the start.”
Assistant Chief David Onley has served as Statesville’s interim chief since Barone’s retirement. Smith praised Onley, saying “David has performed admirably during this time. He has done everything I asked, and more. He has rebuilt relationships that have been fractured and has absolutely kept our department on the right track.”
Smith explained that his selection of Addison is “not a reflection of Chief Onley’s performance. However, the process and feedback we received confirmed for me that this is the direction the City needs to go in.
“I have expressed my hopes to Chief Addison that he will come in and assess the organization, the people, and the City before making any changes. He has assets in place that can certainly help him to do this … and has given me every indication that he intends to take advantage of them.”
Addison’s starting salary is $120,000.
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southstatesville
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Posted 9:18 pm, 02/09/2016
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Six months after his appointment, Joe Barone can officially take the term "interim" out of his title.
Barone, 46, was named chief of the Statesville Police Department on Monday, said Statesville City Manager Larry Pressley. His salary is $82,195.
Barone was named interim chief after Tom Anderson left the department last July for a position with the N.C. League of Municipalities.
The hiring process to replace Anderson began in November, Pressley said. In addition to advertising the position, the process included allowing citizens to share their thoughts about the next chief through three community meetings and in an online survey.
Pressley said the community input was crucial in deciding Barone was the right person for the job.
"We received very strong support of Joe and heard many positive comments about the department and the acting chief at these meetings," Pressley said. "In talking with residents, elected officials and other area law enforcement officers, I am certain that Joe is the best person for the job. I am very happy to promote from within."
Barone said he is excited about the announcement.
"I have already been able to begin several important programs," he said, referring to the training he has implemented department-wide for specialized crisis intervention. Many officers have also trained to administer a drug that can reverse opioid overdoses, something officers used just a couple of weeks after the training to save two lives.
"These are leading-edge programs that are helping our citizens now," Barone said. "They are solutions to problems we are having right now, right here. And that's my goal as chief - to listen to what our community is identifying as problems and issues that need immediate attention - and then solve them together."
An advocate of community policing, Barone believes the newly revamped Community Oriented Policing (COPs) program will make a great difference in Statesville.
"It's about building bridges in our neighborhoods and working with residents to improve communications and safety," he said.
A native of New York, Barone served in the Coast Guard Reserve and Army National Guard from 1987-89. He began working for the Statesville Police Department in 1990 and earned an associate degree in criminal justice from Mitchell Community College. He received his undergraduate degree in criminal justice from Western Carolina University in May.
He has been a patrol officer, school resource officer, investigator, patrol sergeant and captain in the investigations division.
"I know this community and it knows me," he said. "I have a strong police department and look forward to bringing our citizens and officers together to make Statesville better."
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