WILMINGTON — Two surveys conducted regarding the Wilmington Police Department are showing differing opinions of the department’s reach and effectiveness within the community. They come as the police chief — who has been under fire for more than a year and accused of creating a racial divide — prepares to retire this summer.
The first survey was executed by the North Carolina Police Benevolent Association in March and asked 36 questions of 115 WPD employees out of almost 250. The majority of whom participated were white (76.7%); there were only 4.2% of Black respondents.
The other survey was devised by the New Hanover County NAACP, shared through community and faith-based organizations, email and text. It was sent to 122 community members, the majority of whom were Black (77.9%), female (65.6%), and over 61 years old (35.2%).
The NCPBA survey given to the police department officers — with more than two-thirds having worked there for more than five years — indicated 73% found the work environment poor. Almost 80% didn’t feel supported by agency leadership, nor thought they could communicate or collaborate with leadership, and even more rated morale as low.
93% would not recommend working at the department, with around 64% not feeling valued by their contributions and more than 75% saying their input wasn’t considered. More than 80% didn’t think the chief was creating a better agency and 85% thought he fostered a racial divide within the agency.
Some favorable areas in the survey included officers’ clarity of responsibilities, effectively utilizing skills on the job and satisfaction with challenges at work.
The survey comes as the WPD has been at the forefront of contention since the city paid $75,000 for a third-party investigation from the U.S. ISS to look into complaints. Former WPD officer Mike Fanta came forward last year to file a complaint with the city, stating Williams had ushered in a toxic work environment since taking the reins in 2020. Fanta said Williams threatened retaliation against any officer who disagreed with him, undermined certain officers by going around the chain of authority, and issued insults to staff.
Williams has worked for WPD for three decades and became chief at the height of Covid-19 pandemic and the George Floyd protests — a time when Black Lives Matters protests erupted worldwide, many people calling for abolishing police department budgets and further creating distrust between communities and officers.
As the first Black police chief, Williams’ initial day on the job in June 2020 included firing three police officers for making heinous racial remarks. The police chief admits to keeping the badges of three fired officers in a clear box on his bookshelf to elicit a reminder that racism will not be tolerated in the department.
Some local law enforcement officials complained to WECT that under Williams’ rein, retention and recruitment of officers has been problematic. Williams told media in November that 207 employees have been lost at WPD since 2020 — which would be 80 more than between 2015 and 2019, under his predecessor Chief Ralph Evangelous.
Recruitment and retention within police departments has been a nationwide issue, as reported in the International Association of Chiefs of Police 2024 survey. Around 70% of respondents from its 1,158 U.S.agencies indicated recruitment is more challenging than ever in the last five years, many operating at a 10% deficit. Most said measures worsened post-pandemic.
In the NCPBA survey, a majority of officers rated poorly their pay, opportunities for promotion and advancement, benefits package, and ably filing grievances for fear of retaliation.
The chief has refuted allegations wielded against him, as he personally shared with media in a press conference last fall (though the chief didn’t invite all media outlets, including WHQR and Port City Daily, who he has taken issue with in the past). Williams told the outlets racism continues to perforate sectors of the department.
The city’s third-party investigation found Fanta’s claims that Williams created a hostile work environment were substantiated and appropriate actions were being taken; however, the ISS results have not been released to the public, nor does the city manager intend to, despite many citing them of public interest. NCPBA has pushed for transparency and even council member Luke Waddell asked for a summary of the report but did not receive it, according to WHQR.
Current manager Tony Caudle is retiring at the end of this month, so it’s unclear if his successor will have differing views on releasing results to the public. Due to the report being filed under personnel documents, it’s protected by state statute, though the city manager and council could agree to release it’s “essential to maintaining the public confidence or to maintaining the level and quality of city services.”
The NCPBA survey also included negative scores regarding the city and city manager’s office handling complaints, as well as HR not appropriately addressing concerns.
The local chapter of the NAACP has stepped up in defense of Williams and his leadership in the department during the last year and held a press conference in November, with President LeRon Montgomery backing the chief “to address systemic problems within the force.”
Montgomery and other supporters have praised Williams for building trust within the Black community and the department — something they say has lacked in the past. More so, the NAACP praised Williams for throwing out a “good ol’ boy system” and advocating for changes.
The NAACP survey found more than 55% trusted the department, with almost 70% finding WPD’s efforts in their neighborhoods satisfactory. A majority 65% were happy with WPD’s responsiveness.
“This data gives us a vital pulse on the relationship between the community and the police department,” Montgomery wrote in a release. “Our goal is to build on the department’s strengths while listening and responding to the areas where trust must be deepened.”
Survey results showed less enthusiasm when questioners were prompted whether they thought officers avoided excessive force; 26% ranked it low, 32% were neutral and 35% responded positively.
Constructive interactions with officers also appeared limited, with 15.6% noting frequent casual contact and 13.1% saying interactions are rare.
Roughly 67% of NAACP questioners responded they were confident in Williams’ “police officer” abilities.
The police chief announced at the beginning of 2025 he would retire by the end of June. Police Executive Research Forum executed a national search for the new chief on behalf of the city; the city paid the firm $65,000. Applications closed May 5 and according to spokesperson Laura Edwards more than 40 were received.
“City council hopes to have the next Police Chief identified by July 2025,” Edwards wrote in an email. “If a new Chief is not onboard by the time of Chief Donny Williams planned retirement, City Council will appoint an interim Chief.”
The Wilmington Police Department declined to comment on results from either survey.
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