DAYTON, Ohio — A 22-year veteran of the Dayton Police Department has been appointed as the agency's new deputy director and assistant chief.
What You Need To Know
- Lt. Col. Eric Henderson has been named new deputy director and assistant chief of the Dayton Police Department
- He's a 22-year veteran of the police force
- Henderson said he's humbled to work alongside his fellow officers to serve the community where he grew up
- New chief Kamran Afzal said Henderson brings "lifelong connections" that will make him an asset to the job
City Manager Shelley Dickstein announced the promotion of Lt. Col. Eric Henderson on Thursday afternoon.
Henderson joined the DPD in 1999. During his more than two decades on the force, he has commanded a number of units and divisions, including the Dayton Regional Bomb Squad, Strategic Planning Bureau and West Patrol Operations Division. He’s served as assistant chief and chief of operations since 2019.
In his new role, Henderson will be responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of the various divisions and bureaus of the department.
"As a native Daytonian, Lt. Col. Henderson fully understands the needs of our city and the expectations our residents have of the police department," Dickstein said in a statement. She went on to say Henderson's “experience, training, and education" will be a huge asset to Dayton's new police chief, Kamran Afzal.
Afzal took over in late December. He’s spent his few days in office familiarizing himself with the policies and procedures of the department and meeting local stakeholders.
The new chief is also trying to learn his new city. Afzal moved to Dayton from Hopewell, Va., where he served as police chief.
“I am excited to work with Lt. Colonel Henderson as my deputy director," Afzal said. "In the short time I have been here, he has shown exceptional leadership, dedication, and an outstanding work ethic. He is an asset to our department with lifelong connections to our community.”
Henderson called it an honor to serve the city where he grew up. He said he's humbled to “work alongside the more than 400 sworn officers and professional staff who take pride in serving this community every day.”
The city of Dayton and Dayton Police Department are in the midst of several ongoing efforts to improve law enforcement and police-community relationships.
One of the biggest undertakings for the department is the ongoing efforts to implement a series of reforms of areas such as police oversight, training, departmental use-of-force policies, and internal recruitment and promotion standards. They also examined ways to improve community engagement.
Late last year the city launched a pilot program where unarmed mediators respond to non-emergency calls for service.
“I look forward to continuing to build relationships with the people who live and work in Dayton while ensuring that our officers are highly trained and have the necessary resources to enhance public safety for everyone,” Henderson said.
Henderson earned a bachelor’s degree from Park University. He attended the FBI National Academy and Ohio Public Safety Leadership Academy. Henderson is a member of several professional organizations, including the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives, International Association of Chiefs of Police and the Police Executive Research Forum.