City's interim police chief not certified in NC

ASHEVILLE — The city's interim police chief will not be a sworn law enforcement officer though he has explored getting a North Carolina certification.

Tuesday was Interim Chief Steve Belcher's first full day in the office.

Belcher brings plenty of police command experience to Asheville with a career as chief in Santa Cruz, California, and interim chief stints across that state, including at the troubled department in Bell near Los Angeles.

He said his job is to be the administrator of the department. He will not review or direct criminal prosecutions, he said.

Belcher said he has looked into getting a North Carolina certification while he's in Asheville.

"But at the same time, my job is not to go out and arrest people who are drunk in the street," he said.

He is expected to be in the position about six months while the city looks for a full-time chief.

Belcher replaces former Chief William Anderson, who retired at the end of December. His decision to leave came weeks after 44 officers presented a petition saying they had no faith in department leadership.

The state Department of Justice started a standards inquiry at the department after hundreds of traffic tickets were dismissed because of lapsed radar certifications.

Belcher said he will not wear a police uniform or carry a gun or a badge other than city-issued identification.

He has a city car but it does not have emergency lights or a siren, he said.

Belcher said he would check with the city attorney before reviewing a North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation report.

Those reports are not considered public documents and typically are available only to police and prosecutors.

He said he could review an internal affairs report if it deals with an administrative issue.

Belcher's second-in-command, Deputy Chief Wade Wood, is a certified law enforcement officer and will handle criminal investigations, he said.

Several large cities have civilians in command of police departments. New York City, for example, has a civilian police commissioner.

Some people in the Asheville area on Wednesday said having a civilian chief is worth considering.

"I think there is some level of merit to the idea of a civilian chief/commissioner," Fred Nace said in a Facebook discussion. "Much the same as civilian control over military at state and federal level."

But John Miall, a former city risk manager who ran for mayor in 2013, disagreed.

"Asheville doesn't have a commissioner position open," he said. "It has a chief of police (position). Using a military analogy, the secretary of defense is a civilian. The chairman and joint chiefs are all 'sworn,' for lack of a better word, military."

Chiefs typically don't make arrests or investigate crimes, though Asheville has historically had sworn officers in the top job.

North Carolina allows officers from other states to transfer certifications with some additional training, according to the state Department of Justice, which regulates police training.

A transfer must have two years of law enforcement experience and have completed a state-accredited training program.

A transfer must also complete the police department's firearms qualification program.

After that, a transfer needs 96 hours in legal training from a certified school in North Carolina and must pass the state's basic law enforcement exam within a 12-month probationary period.

Belcher will be paid the equivalent of an annual salary of $145,486.

He'll likely get half of that because his employment should last six months, according to his contract.

He will also get $3,400 in relocation expenses and $1,000 a month for housing, the city has said.