Sunday, February 9, 2025

Carolina Beach names new police chief

The new Carolina Beach Chief of Police has been announced, and it’s a name familiar to everyone in the department.

Lt. Chris Spivey, a Carolina Beach Police Department veteran, has been named the new department head. According to Town Manager Michael Cramer, Spivey was originally hired as a patrol officer on July 7, 2000 and has spent the last 15 years working his way up. He became a detective in October 2004 and was promoted to lieutenant in November 2013.

Spivey was offered the position Thursday night but will not officially start until Wednesday, Sept. 9. His starting salary will be $70,000.

“We’ll keep [interim chief] Harry Humphries so we have continuity over the Labor Day weekend,” Cramer said. “I’ll be giving [Spivey] his badge at the council meeting on Sept. 8.”

Carolina Beach has been without a police chief since last spring, when the previous chief, Kenneth Hinkle, was suspended and subsequently fired. Capt. Harry Humphries has been the acting department head since that time.

Cramer said the town is happy that their months-long search has come to an end.

“We’re all very excited,” he said.

In a news release distributed by the town on Friday afternoon, Spivey is described as a person who possesses “the right temperament for management and has a positive understanding of the community.”

“He is an out-of-the-box thinker and a participatory problem solver who will utilize all of our resources to make solid decisions for our community,” the release said. “These attributes will help him successfully lead the department into the future.”

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