Only on WRAL: Rocky Mount swears in new police chief during crucial moment for community's law enforcement

The City of Rocky Mount swore in its new police chief on Friday afternoon during a ceremony at Rocky Mount City Hall.

When Chief Robert Hassell took his oath of office, he said he planned to lead by listening to those around him.

He’ll have to learn quickly, as the coming summer months are the peak for one of Rocky Mount’s biggest law enforcement challenges.

“The best chief for the City of Rocky Mount was right here in North Carolina,” Rocky Mount City Manager Rochelle Small-Toney said.

Hassell was chosen to take over the department after spending the last seven years as chief of police in Reidsville.

He took his oath of office on a bible held by his four-year-old granddaughter.

“I just had to make sure that as I was sworn in, that it was held by her,” Hassell said.

Hassell told the gathered crowd that his focus on family was what led him to make the jump to Rocky Mount.

“When they say, ‘the center of it all,’ Rocky Mount is the center for me to ensure that I’m close to my family and loved ones,” Hassell said.

When the room cleared, WRAL News interviewed the chief for the first time, asking what the biggest priority would be for his new department.

Hassell told WRAL that along with boosting recruitment and diversity, he had to find out what Rocky Mount needed from its police.

“We want to have a period of just assessing where we are, how we’re doing things, and then together as a collective unit we’ll look at which areas we could possibly enhance or improve our service to the community,” Hassell said.

Many Rocky Mount residents have told WRAL News their biggest concern is gun violence, and that the coming summer months usually bring out the worst of it.

WRAL asked Hassell how he planned to make those residents feel safer.

“You’re getting right into the upswing typically for gun violence. What’s your plan for taking it on in this community?” WRAL’s Keenan Willard asked Chief Hassell.

“Listen to what their concerns are, listen to what the issues are to each respective area of our city,” Hassell responded. “Then come back to the table with those citizens’ ideas, and hopefully come up with some strategies to help make the quality of life better for the City of Rocky Mount.”

WRAL will be sitting down with Chief Hassell again in the coming weeks to discuss the police department’s performance under the start of his leadership.