BY MARK WINEKA
SALISBURY POST

Salisbury City Manager David Treme made it official today, confirming that Chris Herring will be Salisbury’s new police chief effective May 17.

Herring submitted his formal resignation Wednesday in Hartsville, S.C., where he has been chief since December 1995.

Herring could not be reached for comment this morning.

His first formal appearance in Salisbury will be April 12, when he will meet with the Salisbury Police leadership team and as many other employees as possible.

Also that day, he will attend a reception in his honor at City Hall and speak on community policing that evening at Livingstone College.

Those invited to the reception will include leaders from the city’s neighborhood revitalization areas, other city department heads, Vision 2020 Committee members, City Council members and people who served as assessors during the interview process for a new chief.

The public meeting at Livingstone College is part of the educational series being sponsored by the Salisbury Vision 2020 Committee. The topic that night will be neighborhood planning and public safety, and city officials hope Herring will meet neighborhood leaders from across the city.

Herring, 38, leaves a department with a total work force of 50 employees for the Salisbury department, which includes 76 sworn officers and 97 total employees.

Treme selected Herring from 118 initial applicants. Five finalists went through a two-day assessment process (Feb. 28 and March 1) in Salisbury, talking with four different panels, totaling 40 people. The final decision came down to Treme.

‘‘I think we had a good process, and I think it has yielded a good result,’’ Treme said.

Treme described Herring as someone who will nurture and develop his work force and said Herring’s ability to challenge the men and women who work for him was a critical element in his decision.

‘‘He is a person who empowers other people to do their job and do it well,’’ Treme said.

Several other things impressed Treme about Herring: his leadership talents, community policing experience, teaching ability and communication skills. Treme said Herring will be able to communicate with all people, ‘‘from community representatives, to business leaders, to law enforcement persons, to management team persons.’’

Herring also has shown an ability to form partnerships in the community, Treme said.

‘‘I liked him,’’ Treme added. ‘‘He has a very pleasant personality, and I think he will wear well for the long run.’’

Accolades for Herring have come from a number of community leaders, including Michael King, a Salisbury attorney, who served on one of the citizen panels that were part of the interview process.

Herring’s background as an instructor and his people skills will strengthen the law enforcement community here, King said. Herring struck him as a teacher at heart who loves what he’s doing.

In a positive way, King added, Herring took control of the panel during his presentation. When King left that day, he said he really felt as though he knew something about community policing.

‘‘He stood out,’’ King said of Herring. ‘‘It wasn’t a difficult task when they put the tallies up.’’

Bob Roakes, chairman of the board of the Rowan County Chamber of Commerce, served on the same business leaders panel with King.

‘‘Chris was outstanding,’’ Roakes said. ‘‘He was really head of the group as far as our committee was concerned. Our committee picked him No. 1, unanimously.’’

Herring’s qualifications, knowledge of community policing and overall experience impressed Roakes’ group.

‘‘We think he will make an excellent police chief,’’ Roakes said. ‘‘... Even though he wasn’t from here, we feel like he was the correct choice.’’

Fannie Butler, president of the West End Community Organization, said she thought Herring will be a good fit with her neighborhood. She believes a big challenge for the new chief will be getting through to youth and changing their attitudes.

‘‘I thought he was a real community-type person,’’ said Butler, who also served on a panel.

Dr. Bryant Norman, president of the Salisbury-Rowan Branch of the NAACP, said Herring will prove an asset with the community leadership skills he displayed in Hartsville.

‘‘From what I’ve heard, the people in Hartsville – everyone knows him,’’ Norman said. ‘‘... I think he’ll do well and be fine for Salisbury. All he needs is the chance.’’