New police chief for Huntersville announced Monday

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. — Huntersville Town Manager Greg Ferguson announced Monday he selected Cleveland Spruill of Alexandria, Va. as the new chief of police for the Huntersville Police Department. Currently a deputy chief, Spruill has 26 years of experience with the City of Alexandria Police Department, including 16 years at command level.

Spruill holds an associate's degree in Administration of Justice from Northern Virginia Community College and a master's degree in management from Johns Hopkins University.

He is also a graduate of the Federal Bureau of Investigations' National Academy. He has been involved in all of the Alexandria Police Department Bureaus including: Patrol Operations, Administrative Services, Special Operations and Investigations.

He was instrumental in developing and implementing Alexandria's Strategic Response System model of policing which helped Alexandria achieve 40-year record low crime rates. Spruill has been a deputy chief since 2006 and most recently commands the Investigations Bureau.

"Cleveland Spruill will be an excellent addition to the Huntersville Police Department and the Town's Management Team," Ferguson said. "Throughout his career he has touched almost every aspect of policing with a strong focus on community policing and community engagement. Spruill's commitment to his staff and organization further highlighted the leadership qualities we are looking for in our new Chief."

Spruill commented that he "is excited both personally and professionally for this new direction. I had the opportunity to meet with Huntersville Police Department staff throughout the selection process and am honored to have been selected to lead this team."
Spruill is a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police. He is active as a youth mentor and spends his spare time volunteering with his church's youth ministries program and coaching youth football.

Spruill and his wife will be moving to Huntersville. They have two sons and one daughter.

Spruill will start his new position on May 5.

WSOC