Who are the six finalists for North Charleston Police Chief?

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – The City of North Charleston has named six finalists in the search for a new police chief.

A nationwide search began earlier this year after Chief Greg Gomes announced he would retire from the position at the end of June, after only serving as the department’s leader for about a year. He had been with the North Charleston Police Department for three decades.

David Cheatle, who serves as special assistant to the mayor, oversaw the selection process with assistance from the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF). The original pool of 34 applicants was narrowed down to six finalists — two from within the department, one from the City of Charleston, and three from police departments across the country.

Internal candidates

• Deputy Chief Karen Cordray has been with the North Charleston Police Department since 1992.
• Deputy Chief Angela Johnson has worked within the North Charleston Police Department since 1996.

City of Charleston candidate

• Captain Jason Bruder began working with the Charleston Police Department in 2002.

National candidates

• Chief Ronald Camacho – Chambersburg Police Department in Pennsylvania
• Deputy Chief Kyle Dowdy – Farmington Police Department in New Mexico
• Jerri Sutton – Chief of Staff for Chattanooga Police Department in Tennessee

Final in-person interviews are scheduled for September 18 in front of a 10-person panel. Mayor Reggie Burgess will then decide the selection of the next chief.

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MEET THE CANDIDATES

Jason Bruder

Jason Bruder currently serves as a captain with the Charleston Police Department where he leads the Investigations, Data, and Intelligence Division. He has 23 years of law enforcement experience and previously led CPD’s Patrol, Community Outreach, and Special Operation Divisions. He is a longtime resident of North Charleston who served as chair of the Charleston County Criminal Justice Coordinating Council from 2019 to 2024.

Captain Bruder earned a Master of Science degree in Homeland Security Management from Long Island University, and he has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Computer Science from Clemson University. Captain Bruder attended the 279th Session of the Federal Bureau of Investigation National Academy in 2020 and completed the Administrative Officers Management Program from NC State University in 2012.

Ronald Camacho

Dr. Ron Camacho currently serves as the Chief of Police for the Chambersburg Police Department in Pennsylvania and has 29 years of law enforcement experience. After leaving his post as patrol operations captain with the York, Pa. Police Department in 2013, he spent time as a police advisor in Afghanistan and was a deputy program manager on a training contract for the U.S. State Department in New Mexico.

Chief Camacho graduated from the 239th session of the FBI National Academy. He holds a Doctorate in Criminal Justice from Penn West University and a Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice from Liberty University.

Karen Cordray

Karen Cordray is a North Charleston native who has worked with the North Charleston Police Department since 1992. She is credited with implementing the department’s Records Management System and establishing the Crime Analysis Unit. In 2018, she became the first woman to rise to the rank of deputy chief in North Charleston. Before that, she served in the Patrol Division, Office of Professional Standards, and Administrative Services Division.

Deputy Chief Cordray attended the College of Charleston and graduated from the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy in 1993. She is also a graduate of the Southern Police Institute’s Administrative Officer’s Course and is currently participating in the Excellence in Policing and Public Safety leadership program at the University of South Carolina School of Law.

Kyle Dowdy

Kyle Dowdy began his law enforcement career in 2004 and currently serves as a deputy chief for the Farmington Police Department in New Mexico. He previously served in positions in the Patrol Division, SWAT, Narcotics, Polygraph, Special Operations, Internal Affairs, Use of Force Review Board, Training, and Administration. He is also a member of the state’s task force for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and is the liaison to the LGBTQ+ community and Intelligence Officer for Farmington PD.

Deputy Chief Dowdy graduated from Northwestern University’s School of Police Staff and Command and the FBI National Academy. He holds a Master of Arts Degree in Criminal Justice Administration from New Mexico State University, a Master of Arts Degree in Security Studies from the Naval Postgraduate, Graduate certificates in History from Western New Mexico University and Criminal Justice Education from the University of Virginia, and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Marketing from New Mexico State University. He also teaches history as an adjunct professor at San Juan College and is a military veteran who led combat ground troops in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Angela Johnson

Angela Johson, a North Charleston native, joined the city’s police department in 1996 and currently serves as deputy chief of the Investigations Division. Her 28-year law enforcement experience includes positions in Patrol, the School Resource Officers’ Unit, the Narcotics Unit, the Office of Professional Standards, Investigations, and the Administrative Services Division. In 2022, she became the first Black woman to earn the rank of deputy chief at the North Charleston Police Department.

Deputy Chief Johson graduated from Claflin University and holds a Master’s in Business Administration, a Master’s in Criminal Justice in 2020, and a Doctorate in Business. She participated in the Southern Police Institute’s Command Officer Development Course and is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. Johnson also teaches as an adjunct instructor of business at Voorhees University in Denmark, S.C.

Jerri Sutton

Jerri Sutton is a 25-year member of the Chattanooga Police Department in Tennessee who is currently assigned to the Office of the Chief of Police as chief of staff. Prior to her appointment, she held positions in the Criminal Investigation and Special Operations Divisions and served as the department’s Public Information Officer. Sutton was also the Director of Training and is credited with developing the department’s first online training module.

Sutton is the president of the Tennessee Chapter of the FBI National Academy, President of the Southeast Tennessee Chapter of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE), and is an active member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, where she serves as the state of Tennessee’s Safety Coordinator.

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A timeline for when the new chief will be announced has not been given.