BREAKING NEWS: KPD Chief Jaynes to retire
Lenoir County Sheriff Ronnie Ingram, left, and Kinston Police Department Chief Alonzo Jaynes chat during last August’s National Night Out event at Pearson Park in Kinston. Photos by William 'Bud' Hardy / Neuse News
By Bryan Hanks
Kinston City Manager Tony Sears verified with Neuse News that Kinston Police Chief Alonzo Jaynes is retiring after three years in the position. The retirement will be effective Sept. 1.
“Chief Jaynes has been absolutely outstanding,” Sears said. “Some of the changes he’s brought have been significant and he’s had a large impact in reducing crime here in Kinston. He’s an unbelievable leader and innovator in the department.”
Jaynes said he is stepping down due to personal reasons.
“I’ve reached the 30-year mark in my career and feel it’s time to go,” Jaynes said. “I’ve had losses in my family this year and they need me, so it’s for the best. I do believe in helping others advance and didn’t want to hold on to a seat for a long period of time to help others fulfill their own goals.”
Jaynes, who was born and raised in Raleigh, said he’s thankful for the Kinston Police Department and the community for helping him ease into the position.
“For me, this was a dream come true and even better than I imagined,” Jaynes said. “There are so many talented people in the Kinston Police Department and it made my job easier. I spent the majority of my career — 20-plus years — in Durham, and moving to a different environment can be intimidating, but the officers, city officials and community took so much pressure off of me.
“The focus now is finding the right people, not just in my seat — we have one major also retiring — and need to fill two positions there. I will be forever thankful to Kinston and the city manager for giving me the opportunity and allowing the Kinston Police Department to implement our vision.”
Sears said the department will do its best to find a replacement to keep Kinston moving forward.
“There’s a couple of different processes, and there’s no telling which one we’ll use,” Sears said. “In my career, I’ve hired two police chiefs and we’ll do whatever’s best for the current situation.”
Junious Smith III contributed to this story.
Kinston Police Chief Alonzo Jaynes works the drive thru window during a community relations event held at Chick-fil-A. Submitted photo.
The Boy Scouts Troop 41, Police Explorers 1033, the Kinston Community Relations Team and the Kinston Police Department came together for a back-to-school drive at Fairfield Park to ensure each student in Lenoir County would have necessary supplies for the upcoming year. Kinston 41 Troop Scoutmaster Fernando Escabi-Mendez said it started with a conversation between one of his troop members and Kinston Police Chief Alonzo Jaynes. Submitted photo.