Brevard Police Chief Tom Jordan will retire this October after four years leading the department.
The city announced Jordan’s departure in a July 10 press release.
Brevard is searching for a new top cop as it grapples with low police staffing, something Jordan is working to solve in collaboration with the Transylvania County Sheriff’s Office.
Some of Jordan’s accomplishments include leading the department to candidacy for North Carolina Law Enforcement Accreditation. He also pushed for new department headquarters on Commerce Street, which provided officers and staff with an improved facility.
“I am proud of the strides we have taken to make the Brevard Police Department more professional and of the efforts we have taken to advance the department into the 21st century,” Jordan wrote in the press release. “All of which put us on the road to being an accredited agency that follows the best practices and policies of modern policing.”
Amid a lawsuit over the handling of evidence in the department, Jordan “initiated a comprehensive audit of BPD’s property and evidence room in advance of the move as part of the department’s commitment to accountability and transparency in evidence management,” the news release stated.
The audit found compliance in BPD inventory management, with 99.5% accuracy.
“I am extremely grateful for the dedication and professionalism that Chief Jordan has provided to the City of Brevard,” said Mayor Maureen Copelof.
“He exemplifies the concept of community policing, and his efforts to increase transparency and establish procedures based on proven practices have resulted in a highly effective police department. As mayor, I am grateful for Chief Jordan’s diligence in making Brevard a safe place for all of us to live.”
Jordan began his law enforcement career in 1993 with the U.S. Capitol Police in Washington, D.C. He later served with the Montgomery County Police Department in Maryland. He also conducted several internal; investigations at the Baltimore City Police Department, St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office, and other local law enforcement agencies, according to the city.
Jordan also taught locally at Brevard College and Blue Ridge Community College.
The city hired Jordan as eputy chief of police in January 2021 and later appointed him to serve as the chief of police in October of that year.
The news release also noted Jordan’s revitalization of the city’s Neighborhood Watch program and relationships with various community groups such as the NAACP, Rainbow Coalition and El Centro.
“Tom has shepherded BPD into a new era of professionalism,” said City Manager Wilson Hooper. “He’s established us as a candidate for NCLEA accreditation, brought our evidence room up to IAEP (International Association for Property and Evidence) standards, and cultivated relationships with federal partners to investigate narcotics trafficking and internet crimes against children that have resulted in charges and convictions against those who would victimize members of our community — all while maintaining the trust of communities who are sometimes distrustful of law enforcement.”
The city will now look to hire another chief using Developmental Associates, a recruitment firm based in Chapel Hill.
Hooper, alongside the mayor and city council, will select the new chief.
Jordan plans to “pursue opportunities in private industry and spend more time with his growing family,” the release stated.
“It has been the privilege and honor of a lifetime to serve the people of Brevard as Police Chief,” Jordan wrote. “Together, we built trust, strengthened the community, and upheld the values that make this city a place we’re all proud to call home. Though I hang up the badge, my heart will always beat with the spirit of service.”
