Hampton’s outgoing police chief, Mark Talbot, was recruited by Norfolk — now the Hampton City Manager has announced a temporary replacement.
Deputy Chief Orrin Gallop will fill Talbot’s shoes while Hampton searches for a permanent chief.
City spokesperson Robin McCormick says the search will begin soon.
“Hampton is going to do a national search and a community driven process for the next police chief,” she said. “We hope to get started quickly, but it is budget season.”
Talbot was Hampton’s top cop for only 18 months — Norfolk City Manager Chip Filer announced he’d be Norfolk’s new chief on April 5. The move generated controversy and Hampton city officials said they were blindsided.
For instance, City Manager Mary Bunting was on vacation when Norfolk made its announcement.
Talbot will replace Interim Chief Michael Goldsmith, who’s retiring.
Goldsmith himself replaced chief Larry Boone a year ago, after Boone abruptly retired amid a wave of high-profile shootings in downtown Norfolk.
Talbot’s last day as Hampton chief is this Friday.
