Opposition to chief selection amplified by voices from Dayton

Last week’s town hall meeting at New Light Missionary Baptist Church, Greensboro residents voiced frustration and serious concerns about the selection of Kamran Afzal to become the city’s new police chief. While the concerns about Afzal’s hiring have been amplified locally, according to Dayton, Ohio resident Zakiya S. Jabar, those concerns practically echo  the anxiety of many Dayton, Ohio residents, where Afzal recently served as police chief.

At the April 15 town hall, residents, activists and local leaders gathered to speak candidly about what many described as a lack of transparency in the hiring process, a growing distrust between the community and city leadership, and ongoing concerns about policing in communities of color.

Joining the panel discussion was Zakiya S. Jabar, a community organizer from Dayton, Ohio, who spoke about her city’s experience with Afzal. Her presence emphasized the concerns of Dayton residents and their support for Greensboro’s opposition to Afzal’s selection.

Jabar referenced the killing of Reginald Johnson, who was shot and killed by Dayton police just one week before Afzal announced he would be leaving to accept the position in Greensboro.

“I would say the unjust killing of someone when they are just minding their business is cause for a righteous indignation,” said Jabar, speaking on organizing and protesting for social justice. “I understand and completely agree with the call to rescind the offer. You all do not want this chief in your community.”

She added that Greensboro’s organizing efforts have also energized residents in Dayton to push for accountability in their own community.

Rev. Gregory Drumwright, leader of Justice 4 The Next Generation, led the discussion which included panelists Jabar and Greensboro residents Rev. C.J. Brinson, community activists Jason Hicks and Gene Blackmon, and Deena Hayes-Greene, Guilford County Schools Board of Education Chairperson.

The town hall, organized by Justice 4 The Next Generation, the Pulpit Forum of Greensboro and Vicinity, the Gorrell Street Neighborhood Association and Second Chance Federation, drew a crowd of about 80 people. Meeting attendees raised concerns not only about how Afzal was selected, but also what his leadership could mean for the future of policing in Greensboro.

“This hire doesn’t make sense,” said community activist Rev. CJ Brinson. “Especially when you’re speaking to the things we’ve been asking for in this city.”

Similar frustrations on the lack of transparency were echoed by other panelists.

“The issue is that we be transparent with each other, because this has not been a transparent process,” said Blackmon. “And we’re not getting answers or communication as to why this happened. I don’t want us to put a narrative out there that just because we don’t agree with something our city leadership does, that we are angry. We are not angry, but we do ask for transparency and accountability.”

In the days following the meeting, the Greensboro Criminal Justice Advisory Commission (GCJAC) added its voice to the growing concern. The city council-appointed commission submitted a formal letter addressed to City Manager Trey Davis and the members of the Greensboro City Council expressing support for the community’s concerns and calling on the city to rescind Afzal’s job offer. 

In the letter, the commission emphasized the importance of community trust in public safety leadership and questioned whether that trust can be built after what many see as a flawed and exclusionary hiring process. The GCJAC formally recommended that the city rescind the offer or, at minimum, delay Afzal’s scheduled May 13 start date.

The selection has also sparked frustration among Greensboro residents, who supported promotion of top candidates within the department to be police chief. Speakers at the town hall argued that internal candidates bring established relationships, institutional knowledge and a proven track record within the community.

“We know there were internal candidates that applied for this position, and we know that we were in conversation with those candidates about how bad our data was,” said Jason Hicks, an organizer with Second Chance Federation. “We don’t need someone, who we’ve not talked to, who also has problems around transparency and disparities in stops.”

Hicks also pointed to traffic stop data from Dayton during Afzal’s tenure. According to publicly available data, in 2023, nearly half of all police stops, 48.5 percent, did not include race data, which raises concerns about transparency and the ability to accurately track disparities.

By 2025, the most complete year of available data, Black drivers accounted for approximately 59 percent of traffic stops, while White drivers accounted for about 27 percent. Hicks argued that earlier gaps in reporting may have masked disparities and said the 2025 figures remain concerning, given that roughly 40 percent of Dayton’s population is Black.

He and other advocates have also been critical of policing practices in Greensboro over the past year, calling for an end to regulatory traffic stops for minor equipment violations and pushing for written consent policies for vehicle searches.

Beyond the hiring process, the town hall expanded into a broader conversation about systematic problems in the city related to criminal justice. Residents called for greater transparency in decision-making, stronger community oversight and a more direct commitment to addressing longstanding disparities in policing.

“This is not something that just happened with one police chief. This is the systematic employment of those in the seats that represent a longstanding operation of corruption,” said Greensboro resident, Terrence “TC” Muhammad.

City officials have previously stated that the hiring process was conducted through a national search, but questions remain about how finalists were evaluated and why the public was not given an opportunity to engage before a final decision was made.

As of this week, the city manager has indicated that the offer to Afzal still stands as members of the Greensboro community remain in opposition to his selection. 

Meanwhile, Greensboro community members say they are not backing down. Organizers of last week’s town hall say additional meetings and actions are planned, with many residents expected to attend the May 4 City Council meeting to continue expressing their concerns.

“We’re going to turn up the call for this offer to be rescinded,” said Drumwright.