There’s no new sheriff in town, but, in High Point, there will soon be a new police chief – or, rather, a new interim chief.
On Thursday, July 16, the city announced in a press release that Interim High Point City Manager Randy McCaslin had named Jonathan Travis Stroud as the Interim Chief of Police. Stroud will take over the position on Tuesday, Aug. 1 – when the current chief, Ken Shultz, steps down.
Until that date, Stroud will continue serving as a major in the department. He has worked his way up through the ranks over the years – 25 years to be exact – that he’s served in the High Point Police Department.
Over the last quarter of a century, the new interim chief has worked in a variety of roles. He’s been the commander of a tactical team, a patrol commander, a field-training team commander and a vice and narcotics commander. Recently, Stroud has been focusing his attention on department programs meant to deter major crimes.
One thing that will work in Stroud’s favor is that he knows the city well. He was born and raised in High Point and graduated from Andrews High School in 1990. He then attended Appalachian State University, graduating in 1994 with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration.
A year later, Stroud joined the High Point Police Department and continued refining his skills as a law enforcement officer. He graduated from the FBI National Academy in 2014.
According to a statement from High Point, “The City appreciates his willingness to step into this role and looks forward to his contributions to the High Point Police Department in this position.”
Stroud will try to fill the shoes of Shultz, who announced earlier this year that he was retiring at the end of July after serving for more than three decades with the department.
Good luck, Randy!
Good luck, Chief! You’re gonna need it. Do what you think is right. If you get fired for this, it would be a recommendation, not a bad reference.
Congrats Chief Schultz on your retirement!!! Well deserved sir!!