DAYTON — Dayton officially has a new police chief.
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Eric Henderson took the oath of office with his hand on a Bible held by his father.
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Emotions briefly overwhelmed Henderson as he thanked his family, his police family, and city leaders.
He then spoke directly to the community.
“Dayton is a city of many neighborhoods, many faces, many languages, and many stories,” Henderson said. “Every one of them deserves a department that sees them.”
He said that police must be partners.
“You are partners in keeping the community safe,” Henderson said. “A police department can not do this work alone.”
He joined the police department in 1999.
He moved through the ranks, being promoted to many different positions in his 27 years.
It all leads to him stepping into the leadership role in the city’s largest department.
“I think actions speak louder than words, so we have to show up day in and day out, perform the work, and do it in a professional manner,” Henderson said.
Chief Henderson spoke about his top three priorities as he begins his service as leader of the department: openness and transparency, taking care of the department’s physical and mental health, and driving down violent crime in the city.
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