News Flash

Livestream Available for Convenient Viewing on DPD’s YouTube Channel

The Oath of Office Ceremony for Police Chief Patrice Andrews will take place Friday, December 10 at 6 p.m. at North Carolina Central University. NCCU is the alma mater of Chief Andrews.

The university is facilitating livestreaming of the ceremony for convenient participation by the community at-large. The Oath of Office Ceremony will be broadcast live on the Durham Police Department’s YouTube channel.

As COVID-19 cases across North Carolina are currently on the rise, and in an effort to help stem a pre-holiday surge, the community is encouraged to virtually attend the ceremony. Approximately 250 anticipated in-person attendees will include police department employees, local and area officials, and residents who represent various neighborhood and community organizations.

COVID-19 guidelines are in effect on the NCCU campus indoor venues. In addition to wearing facial coverings, NCCU requires all in-person attendees to complete the university’s COVID-19 Screening Survey.

About Chief Patrice Andrews

Andrews’ first day on the job as Durham’s Police Chief was November 1, 2021. She brings more than 25 years of experience to the post, most of which were gained at the Durham Police Department as she rose through the ranks. Her career started as a patrol officer in 1997, working the beat, advancing to district commander, to captain, where she most notably supervised units within the Criminal Investigations Division, including the Special Victims, Homicide, Domestic Violence, and Fraud units. Additional responsibilities included responding to all major incidents including homicides, and any other incident as assigned by the Executive Command Staff. She also helped put strategies in place to assist the Forensics, Intelligence and Crime Analysis units to investigate crimes.

Her experience also includes serving as a sergeant in the DPD’s High Enforcement Abatement Team, which was a street-level gang and narcotics enforcement unit, a detective corporal, investigative corporal, and police corporal as well as an investigator in the DPD’s Special Operations Division.

In 2016, Andrews was selected as the Morrisville Police Chief, where she was responsible for all operations of the department, including the Administration, Patrol Operations and Support Services divisions. There, she led the creation of a multi-phase career development and succession policy while also addressing compression and compensation. She also implemented a body-worn camera program, and worked with surrounding agencies to develop and implement a response to the death of George Floyd, which resulted in Morrisville’s adoption of the Project 8 Can’t Wait recommendations.

Andrews is a 2016 graduate of the Executive Law Enforcement Management from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) National Academy as well as a 2012 graduate of the Executive Leadership Program from the West Point Leadership Program at Methodist University. She also has a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from North Carolina Central University, and currently serves as General Instructor for the North Carolina Criminal Justice Education and Training Standards Commission.

Andrews is a member of the National FBI Academy Associates Session 263, International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), National Association of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE), North Carolina Police Executives Association, North Carolina Chapter – FBI National Academy, North Carolina Association of Chiefs of Police, North Carolina Law Enforcement Women's Association, Governor's Crime Commission, Chair of the Governor's Crime Commission Crime Victims Service Committee, and the Governor's Crime Commission School Safety Task Force.