HAMLET, N.C. — The city of Hamlet hired James Carsto as the new police chief for the Hamlet Police Department. Carsto has been serving as the interim chief since former Chief Dennis Brown was terminated in July.
“Chief James Carsto not only stepped up to the challenge, he exceeded every expectation, county manager John Terziu said in an email to Hamlet City Council. “In an exceptionally short period, he has taken this department further than I could have ever imagined, leading with professionalism, integrity, and vision… His dedication to transparency, accountability, and community policing has restored confidence in the Hamlet Police Department and re-energized the organization from within.”
Terziu told council that during the formal selection process, he had requested an external assessment and interview panel with Chief George Gillenwater with the Rockingham Police Department, and Richmond County Sheriff Mark B. Gulledge. He said both leaders declined to participate because they already they supported Chief Carsto for the job. He said he also conducted an internal survey with the police department to access “organizational culture, morale, and confidence in leadership.”
“The results were overwhelmingly positive, showing unanimous support for Chief Carsto,” he said.
In response to his new role, Chief Carsto told Channel 9, “‘I am honored to be appointed as the chief of police for the Hamlet Police Department. I am grateful for the trust placed in me and look forward to continuing to serve the citizens of Hamlet with professionalism, integrity, and transparency. The men and women of this department are dedicated public servants, and I am proud to lead them as we work together to strengthen community partnerships, enhance public safety, and uphold the highest standards of law enforcement. I am committed to ensuring that the Hamlet Police Department remains a positive, responsive, and trusted presence in our community.”
Chief Carsto worked for the Rock Hill Police Department in various roles from 2005 to 2021. He served on patrol, was member of the Rock Hill SWAT Team, and eventually oversaw the Street Crimes Unit. He retired in 2021 but joined Hamlet Police as lieutenant of Investigations after a brief break from law enforcement.
In October, the city of Hamlet released a statement on the termination of former Chief Brown. In “Findings and Termination’, the city said concerns about Brown were reported to them by Rockingham Police Chief George Gillenwater. In an email, Chief Gillenwater wrote, “Chief Brown and his administration have been abusing CJ Standards form F5B by marking former employees as under investigation for the purpose of intimidating officers to stay or to delay employment at a new agency.”
The city said Chief Gllenwater attached a four-page letter in his email documenting his concerns. The city manager said it was determined that Chief Brown’s actions had resulted in a catastrophic loss of trust and confidence in his ability to lead the police department. This was the reason for his termination in July.
Brown had hired an attorney and previously said they had looked forward to exposing the truth.
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