By Shavonne Potts
shavonne.potts@salisburypost.com

SALISBURY — Police Chief Jerry Stokes says it could be early next year before a deputy police chief is chosen.

Stokes says he’s in the final phase of the selection process, which comes four months after the exit of former Deputy Chief Shon Barnes.

Barnes left in August and is currently the director of training and professional development for the Civilian Office of Police Accountability in Chicago.

However, the Capital Times in Madison, Wisconsin, reports Barnes also is one of four candidates in the running for police chief of the Madison Police Department. According to the Capital Times, the Madison police chief abruptly retired in September 2019. The Madison Police and Fire Commission is the hiring body for chief and conducted final interviews Tuesday.

Barnes came to Salisbury in April 2017 after nearly 20 years with the Greensboro Police Department where he served as captain.

Stokes said he’s at the point of making a final choice.

There were 20 potential candidates, Stokes said. Three were white females, 15 white males, one Black male and one Hispanic male. Of those 20 applicants, four were internal candidates.

The last step led to seven candidates who participated in an interview with five members of the Chief’s Advisory Board.

“They provided feedback to me about moving forward with making a choice,” Stokes said.

Stokes said he expects to make a final choice sometime around the first of the year.