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New deputy executive police chief announced

Rochester Police Department patch
James Brown
/
WXXI News
Rochester Police Department patch

Rochester Police announced a series of appointments to its command staff Thursday, including a new deputy executive chief.

Andre Anderson will join the department as second-in-command behind new interim Chief Cynthia Herriott.

During an interview provided by the city of Rochester, Herriott said Anderson has experience overseeing SWAT teams, a homicide department, and other speciality units. Anderson was interim police chief for the city of Ferguson, Missouri, during the protests and riots after the death of Michael Brown. He also spent 29 years with the Glendale, Arizona, Police Department. 

“I know his work ethic,” said Herriott. “I know his character- he’s a servant leader - and also his skill set. We complement each other.”

Anderson said he took the job because of Herriott’s commitment to community policing. 

“I have passion for caring about people and their needs, and I think that this community is looking for that,” said Anderson. 

The reorganization comes after former Police Chief La’Ron Singletary was fired in September, amid claims of a cover-up in the Daniel Prude case. Prude suffocated in police custody in March, dying a week later. Much of the department’s command staff accepted demotions or retired around the same time.

Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren told City Council in September that the interim chief should stay on until at least June. That’s when Warren is up for reelection. 

The other appointments include:

  • Capt. Gabriel Person will be assigned as temporary deputy chief of the Operations Bureau.
  •  Lt. Tom Shaw will be assigned as temporary deputy chief of the Administrative Bureau.
  •  Lt. Elena Correia will be assigned as temporary commander of the Administrative Bureau.
  •  Capt. Dave Smith will be assigned as temporary commander of the Patrol Division.
  •  Capt. John Koonmen will be assigned temporary commander of the Special Operations Division.
  •  Lt. Henry Favor will be assigned to the Chief’s Office as chief of staff.
James Brown is a reporter with WXXI News. James previously spent a decade in marketing communications, while freelance writing for CITY Newspaper. While at CITY, his reporting focused primarily on arts and entertainment.