David Smith named permanent Rochester police chief

Rochester Mayor Malik Evans on Thursday morning named interim Rochester Police Chief David Smith as the department's new permanent chief as one of five new members of the the mayor's senior administration.

Smith, 54, becomes the first permanent chief since then-Police Chief La'Ron Singletary was fired by then Mayor Lovely Warren in September 2020 during the aftermath pf the in-custody death of Daniel Prude, and days of sometimes violent clashes between police and protesters. Prude was restrained by police while in the throes of a mental health crisis, was asphyxiated and later died.

Evans announced the news at a midmorning news conference at City Hall. The appointment will require confirmation from Rochester's City Council.

Smith, who has served as interim chief since October, has been a member of the Rochester Police Department since 1992. He said that he previously planned to retire when he reached his 30-year milestone with RPD in November, but altered his plans when he applied for the chief job amidst a nationwide search. More than 25 candidates were "strongly considered" for the job, Evans said, but Smith was deemed the top choice because he had proven himself in the temporary role.

The men, Evans said, speak "at least six times a day" and have "open communication, dialogue" and together collaborate as partners to strategize and solve the problems Rochester faces.

"The most important things with the police chief is that you have to have good chemistry with the mayor, and the mayor has to believe that you're going to understand that you do not operate on idle," Evans said, adding that the announcement will "now bring certainty" within the department.

Immediate challenges

Smith now inherits a department that is short-staffed, facing a host of proposed reforms and a well-funded civilian oversight board. Morale and stability continue to be a concern in the department , which has nearly 775 employees, including 658 sworn officers, which is about 80 fewer patrol officers than are budgeted for or authorized.

“The selection of a permanent chief was long overdue," the Rochester Police Locust Club said in a statement released Thursday afternoon. "We wish Chief Smith success moving forward. Success will only come by ensuring that a chief has adequate staffing and resources to effectively provide the level of public safety which the city is in desperate need of.”

Smith started his career as a patrol officer in southwest Rochester, and at one point led the department's bicycle patrol unit. He served as deputy chief of operations before he took the interim post last fall.

Smith said that he was initially hesitant to apply for the job, given the challenges RPD and the city have faced in recent few years, "but quite frankly, working with the mayor and the Evans administration has been a breath of fresh air and they have taken a lot of roadblocks out of the way."

Even as an interim chief, Smith said he was "empowered to do a lot of things that an interim doesn't normally do."

"I don't know how many times since October I've had people tell me, 'I wouldn't want your job or I wouldn't want to be you for all the money in the world,'" Smith said. "I can tell you standing here today there is no other place I would rather be."

He repeatedly commended the department's officers, noting that they put their heart and soul into the job every day.

As interim chief, Smith implemented several policy changes in recent months, including an updated policy regarding police officer conduct at protests - including prohibiting the use of tear gas, flash bangs and long-range acoustical devices - to safeguard citizens' rights, Evans said. Typically it is difficult as an interim to implement long-term changes, but Smith said he's proud of what he has accomplished since October.

Before Smith took the helm, Cynthia Herriott-Sullivan spent a year as interim chief and was the first woman to lead the RPD. She agreed to take the interim post for a year, during a tumultuous time for the department.

The search for the new permanent chief came amidst a historically violent year, with a record-setting 81 homicides in 2021. The recent uptick in violence also included many daytime shootings - some of which occurred on crowded city streets.

To date this year, 37 people have been slain within city limits. Rochester's first homicide of 2022 occurred when 14-year-old Julius Greer Jr. was gunned down while walking to a corner store to get noodles. Last month, 16-year-old Zahira Smith was fatally shot while attending a friend's birthday party as two groups of people fired shots at one another outside the house where the party took place.

Also announced at the news conference were several additions to Evans' leadership team. They include:

• Keith Stith, RPD's new deputy chief of community engagement, has 30 years of law enforcement experience. He recently retired as chief of detectives from the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office in New Jersey, where he created the county's first gang task force to address the proliferation of streets gangs and gun violence.

• Carla Johnson, who started working for the city of Rochester in 1989, was named Rochester's manager of diversity, equity and inclusion. Most of the past three decades were as a city employee; however, she spent three years during her "retirement" working for the Center for Dispute Settlement.

• William Boudreaux, the city's new chief technology officer, has worked as Rochester's acting director of information and technology since January. He has more than two decades of experience,, including work at University of Rochester Medical Center United Technologies Corp. and Ultralife Batteries Inc.

• Harriet Fischer, a city employee since 1990, was named the city's manager of the Office of Project Management. She will lead implementation of projects including the city's mainframe transition and land management system updates.

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: David Smith named Rochester NY police chief