Durham picks Wake County police leader and DPD veteran to be its next chief

Patrice Andrews, a former Durham police captain who has served as chief of the Morrisville Police Department since 2016, will become Durham’s new police chief.

Andrews was chosen from four finalists by City Manager Wanda Page.

She brings more than 25 years of experience in law enforcement, most of which were spent at the Durham Police Department, the city said in a news release Monday.

“This is a full-circle moment for me during a pivotal time for our city and police department,” Andrews said in a statement. “Durham is a vibrant, inclusive community with a rich civil rights history where all are welcome to live, work, and play. I look forward to the future that we will create together.”

Andrews started as a patrol officer at the city’s police department in 1997, according to the city. She became a district commander, then a captain, overseeing units within the Criminal Investigation Division, including Special Victims, Homicide, Domestic Violence, and Fraud.

She earned her bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice at N.C. Central University, and is a graduate of the Federal Bureau of Investigation National Academy and the West Point Leadership Program at Methodist University.

In a statement, Andrews pointed to reducing violent crime, as well as improving officer recruitment, retention and morale, as major goals for the department.

Her tenure will begin after a possible record year of gun violence in 2020.

That year saw 318 people shot in Durham — almost 70% more than the 189 people shot in 2019, The News & Observer reported.

It was the highest number of people shot in the Bull City since at least 2016, when the department began compiling the data.

Andrews replaces former chief Cerelyn “C.J.” Davis, who left Durham police in June to lead police in Memphis, Tennessee.

Andrews will begin Nov. 1.

This story was originally published October 11, 2021 at 10:09 AM.