
Carolina Beach will have a new chief of police by the end of the week, according to town officials.
After receiving a total of 86 applications by the July 15 deadline, the wide pool was narrowed down. Five final candidates were interviewed last week by a panel consisting of Town Manager Michael Cramer, Assistant Town Manager Ed Parvin, Human Resources Director Holly Brown, Fire Chief Alan Griffin, and Topsail Beach Police Chief Sam Gervase. The candidates were a mix of local and non-local applicants.
“A decision will be made by Friday,” Cramer wrote in an email to Port City Daily.
The department’s former head, Kenneth Hinkle, was placed on non-disciplinary suspension with pay on April 15. He was eventually fired on May 8 of this year for personnel reasons, insubordination and “poor performance in complying with rules and regulations necessary for the proper administration of the police department,” according to the termination letter provided to Port City Daily by Hinkle’s attorney, Barry Henline.
The search for a new chief began in earnest in June after Hinkle’s appeal to be reinstated was denied. Capt. Harry Humphries, a Carolina Beach Police Department veteran, has been serving as acting police chief in the interim.