“It’s an honor,” he said while thanking his family, city officials and others during his swearing-in ceremony Monday at Dayton City Hall.
Afzal said the community can expect him to be honest and to make decisions not based on ideology but based on what’s right.
“I will always try to tell you what you need to hear and not what you want to hear,” Afzal said after being sworn in as chief in Dayton. “And that’s whether it’s my boss ... community members, members of the department or anybody.”
Afzal replaces former police chief Richard Biehl, who retired after more than 10 years serving the department. Afzal said that he spoke with Biehl over the phone for a couple of hours ahead of Monday to learn about the department, the officers and the community.
The selection process for the new police chief was comprehensive, city manager Shelley Dickstein said, with extensive community engagement. Over 50 community members and staff participated in the process and input was taken from former Dayton police chiefs, neighborhood presidents, business leaders and others.
“Across the variety of inputs, Kamran consistently demonstrated the difference between leadership and management,” Dickstein said Monday. “He understands the importance of supporting his officers and establishing a culture of continuous improvement.”
Afzal said one of his priorities is to be accessible. He has been meeting his officers and others over the last week. He said he wants to make sure everyone’s voice is heard and to find common ground to build relationships with.
“I love our profession. I love the men and women who actually work this profession, and the message is I am here to support them.” Afzal said. “...When we’re are right, I am going to be there,and I know 9 out of 10 times we are right, but those rare times when we didn’t do the best job possible, they’re going to hear that also.”
Afzal said service is a core principle he plans to uphold as police chief.
Credit: JIM NOELKER
Credit: JIM NOELKER
Afzal was born in Pakistan and immigrated to the U.S. when he was a teenager. He earned a bachelor’s in economics from George Mason University and a master’s of public administration with a concentration in criminal justice from Troy University in Alabama.
He took a moment Monday to reflect on becoming chief in a major department.
“When people think of America, they think of the Midwest and the heartland of America, and to be a police chief as somebody who came as an immigrant as a teenager, it can only happen in America,” Afzal said. “I’m not sure any other country that you can come from the outside as an immigrant and being able to lead a department. That’s what our country is about.”
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