Meet the new chief, same as the old chief.
Following a six month, nationwide search that was initially expected to end in the spring, Mayor Malik Evans has tapped Dave Smith to serve as chief of the Rochester Police Department. Smith, 54, is a 30-year veteran of the RPD, was named interim chief this past October. The search was contracted through California-based Public Sector Search & Consulting, following unanimous approval by the Rochester City Council in December. The agreement cost $42,500.
Evans said Smith beat out about 25 finalists.
“I talked to probably hundreds of people, we heard from lots of residents, from both internal and external stakeholders, and one of the reasons I was able to take time was because I knew I had a good interim there,” Evans said, at a news conference Thursday. “As I was conducting the national search, I was thinking, ‘Am I going to hear from Dave Smith? Is he going to throw his hat in the ring?’ I was hoping he was.”
The Rochester Police Department has been without a permanent chief since the fall of 2020. Cynthia Herriott-Sullivan was appointed interim chief that September, after Mayor Lovely Warren fired then-Chief La’Ron Singletary amidst fallout from video footage showing the arrest and restraint of Daniel Prude. As officers restrained him, Prude lost consciousness and stopped breathing — he later died at Strong Memorial Hospital.
Herriott-Sullivan left in September 2021, at which time Warren appointed Smith to take over as interim chief.
Smith has faced a heap of issues as he stepped into the role of chief, most of which have persisted. Among them are record-setting levels of violence, widespread community distrust in the department, and a substantial amount of vacancies within the department.
“I don’t know how many times since October I’ve had people tell me, ‘Oh, I wouldn’t want your job, or I wouldn’t want to be you for all of the money in the world,’” Smith said. “I can tell you, standing here today, there’s no other place I’d rather be. I love this department, and I’ll always love this department.”
The chief’s salary is about $151,000, which makes the position one of the highest paid in city government.
In his time as interim chief, Smith tweaked some departmental policies and operations. For example, the department on Wednesday released new directives for officers responding to protests. The orders forbid the use of PepperBall launchers to clear crowds, direct officers not to use force unless there is immediate danger, and require the chief to provide clearance for the use of chemical irritants on crowds, among other changes.
City Councilmember Stanley Martin, a key organizer of the 2020 and 2021 Black Lives Matter protests in Rochester, is skeptical of Smith’s appointment.
“In the time that Chief Smith has been interim chief, very little has changed in how RPD polices our community, especially Black and brown people,” Martin said.
“I’m not optimistic, it just doesn’t seem like anything is going to change or anything is going to be different,” Martin continued. “I wish it would, but it’s very unlikely.”
Council President Miguel Melendez served on the interview panel which helped narrow down the field of candidates for the chief’s job. He said the “continuity” of Smith’s appointment is critical to addressing issues in Rochester.
“In these times we have some very challenging situations in the city,” Melendez said. “Chief Smith has been open, transparent, and really collaborative in his approach. I think this is a good move.”
Smith, who had planned to retire before taking the position, said that as permanent chief, he can begin to focus on some long-term plans. He didn’t lay out those plans, but noted that adding permanency in leadership will inspire the rank-and-file officers to be more open to instituting different strategies and protocols.
“It’s human nature,” Smith said. “If you know your boss is going to be gone in six months, are you really going to try to follow through on what your boss wants, especially if you’re six levels below?”
On Thrusday, Evans also announced the appointment of Keith Stith, a longtime homicide and gang task force detective in New Jersey, as the RPD’s deputy chief of community engagement. Stith’s role is to serve as the leader of the department’s violence prevention initiatives.
“Police community relations will be, and is, one of my number priorities,” Evans said. “You can’t solve a homicide, you can’t solve a shooting, without cooperation of the community.”
Gino Fanelli is a CITY staff writer.