How much could Charlotte’s police chief search cost? These cities offer clues
Charlotte is gearing up to find a new police chief, but exactly how much it’ll cost taxpayers is still unclear.
City Manager Marcus Jones will lead the search to replace Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Johnny Jennings when he retires at the end of the year following a $305,000 settlement with the city over a dispute with former Council Member Tariq Bokhari. Although no budget has been set, similar searches in cities of comparable size can easily run into the tens of thousands.
The Charlotte Observer dug into what other cities have spent to give taxpayers a clearer picture of the possible costs.
How does Charlotte usually conduct searches?
Jennings, who took his post in 2020, was hired from within the police department. The search cost Charlotte $42,000, according to a city spokesperson. Jennings was chosen by Jones from a pool of 60 applicants.
Before Jennings, former Police Chief Kerr Putney was the first in over 25 years to be hired from within the department. There was no national search at the time, as former City Manager Ron Carlee said many people said they supported Putney for the job.
In 2008, the city paid about $20,000 to a Dallas recruiting firm to assist in its search that resulted in the hire of former Chief Rodney Monroe, according to the Observer archives.
It’s unclear how involved citizens will be in the upcoming search. In the 2020 search that resulted in Jennings’ hire, the city did not hold public interviews with candidates or name finalists before the decision was made. Though, this search will follow heightened scrutiny on the city for its lack of transparency surrounding the settlement with Jennings.
A city of Charlotte spokesperson said specific decisions regarding the search process have not been finalized yet, but will eventually be made public.
How much do other cities spend?
In Fort Worth, Texas, the city has paid $55,000 to a firm in its ongoing search to hire a new police chief. The city paid the money to Mosaic Public Partners, a consulting firm, to help in the search, according to the Fort Worth Report.
The city of Austin, Texas also hired Mosaic Public Partners to assist in its 2024 search for a new police chief, paying the firm $59,000 for its services, KUT News reported.
In 2024, Oklahoma City spent nearly $50,000 on its search for a chief. The city paid Public Sector Search & Consulting, a recruiting firm composed of retired police chiefs, to assist in the search.
Hiring a recruiting firm is a popular choice for cities across the country. The group hired by Oklahoma City last year has placed police chiefs in cities including Boulder, Colorado; Redmond, Washington; and Fort Lauderdale, Florida, according to its website. The group prides itself on “finding and cultivating great police leaders.”
In 2019, the city of Columbus, Ohio spent $125,000 on its search for a police chief, CW Columbus reported. Ultimately, the former chief Thomas Quinlan spent less than a year on the job.
The City of Tampa, Florida paid former Charlotte Police Chief Rodney Monroe $15,000 in 2022 to lead the search for a new chief, according to city spokesperson Adam Smith. Monroe was hired to “assist in analyzing and vetting the candidates,” he said. Ultimately, the selected chief, Mary O’Connor, resigned after less than a year on the job following a controversy where she showed her badge to get out of a traffic violation.
Monroe is an expert on officer hiring and recruitment, accountability and transparency, and officer wellness and safety, according to his Smart Policing biography.
Tampa skipped a national search in 2023 to make an internal hire, which tends to be cheaper. Smith said the city “spent very little” on the search for its current Chief Lee Bercaw because Tampa Mayor Jane Castor formerly served as a law enforcement consultant and knew the landscape of potential candidates.
San Francisco’s ongoing search for a new police chief is also being conducted without a consulting firm, KQED reported. Instead, the city’s civilian-led police commission will draw up a list of candidates and the mayor will make the decision.
It’s unclear if Charlotte will pay a firm to help Jones in his search for Jennings’ replacement, but a city news release promises a comprehensive and thorough national search.
“As we begin the search for our next chief, we are committed to finding a leader who will continue to build upon Chief Jennings’ legacy and uphold our city’s commitment to safety and justice for all,” Jones said in the news release.
