HAMLET — The City of Hamlet confirmed that Chief of Police Dennis Brown and Major Hudson Chitwood are no longer employed with the Hamlet Police Department as of July 23, marking a significant shift in the department’s leadership. James Carsto has been named interim chief, though the city has not released a timeline for selecting a permanent replacement.
Chitwood addressed his resignation in a statement to the Daily Journal, stating that he left voluntarily and citing concerns about city management. He also expressed gratitude to the community and reflected on the department’s efforts during his time in office.
Chitwood’s statement reads:
“To the Richmond County Daily Journal, I write to you now, to inform you and the public of my voluntary resignation from the Hamlet Police Department, and to provide further details on the matter.
I would like to thank the citizens of Hamlet for allowing me to serve as their Major of Police for 3 years, and serve as an employee for 4. In my time, my staff and I have pioneered crime prevention, intelligence-based law enforcement, and have poured the entirety of our efforts and energies into improving the lives of the citizens of Hamlet. It has been a long, arduous journey to achieve this level of successful crime prevention, and I could not have accomplished this without my chief, my captain, and members of the Hamlet Police Department who have remained dedicated to the vision of a safe and healthy place to live. People have asked me in the past, ‘why fight so hard? Crime will always be there.’ While this is true, I counter this futility with one simple answer.
I fight for time.
Years of safer, more peaceful neighborhoods and a better quality of life for our community, is what I fight for. Years where children have better childhoods, so that they may grow into fully functioning and successful adults, without the terror of crime and its influence. It is this, life-time, that I have fought for in Hamlet. The people who have stood by me and worked so hard for our success, know this.
Chief Brown, whom I have watched daily in his role for years, also believes in this. It is a lonely existence, to strive to do the right thing when it is so frequently unpopular. Look upon the results and our work quality, and compare it to history.
This year, the City of Hamlet appointed a new city manager, T. John Terziu. Based on his statements, actions, and conduct throughout the year to date, I have concluded that I can no longer serve under his leadership while upholding my personal and professional standards of ethics and integrity.
I have thoroughly documented my concerns regarding these matters. Despite my efforts to bring them to the City’s attention, they appear to have been disregarded. In my view, certain actions taken by City staff in relation to personnel matters may constitute violations of applicable laws and policies. I believe the consequences of these decisions will, in time, become evident to the citizens of Hamlet.
I cannot convey my gratitude to the outpour of support I have received in this most difficult decision, and I thank you sincerely.
I am looking forward to the next step in my future, and I vow to continue to provide innovation, leadership, unity, and time to the next community I join as a part of their team.”
City Manager T. John Terziu issued a statement in response, affirming the city’s commitment to legal compliance and internal review. He said the city is actively investigating matters related to the Hamlet Police Department.
“As the City Manager of Hamlet, my daily commitment is to uphold excellence in service to our residents, our City, and our dedicated employees. In partnership with the Hamlet City Council and the City Attorney, we strive to ensure full compliance with all applicable laws and regulations,” said Terziu.
“At this time, the City is actively investigating matters involving the Hamlet Police Department. As these involve current and former employees, they constitute confidential personnel circumstances. In accordance with legal requirements and out of respect for all parties involved, the City is unable to provide additional comment at this time,” Terziu continued.
“We remain committed to transparency, accountability, and due process, and we appreciate the community’s patience and understanding,” he said.
Brown is being represented by attorney Rachel C. Van Camp of Van Camp, Meacham & Newman, PLLC. In a statement, Van Camp said the firm is reviewing the circumstances of Brown’s separation from the city.
“Our firm represents Chief Dennis Brown regarding the recent separation of his employment with the City of Hamlet and the Hamlet Police Department. We are currently investigating the circumstances surrounding the separation of Chief Brown’s employment and look forward to pursuing this matter on his behalf,” said Van Camp.
“It is unfortunate that, after almost three decades in law enforcement and a successful and honorable career as Chief of Police for the Hamlet Police Department, Chief Brown is now in a position where he is forced to defend his integrity and against allegations that are false and baseless,” continued the statement.
“We anticipate that information will be brought to light soon that will provide the community with a more accurate and thorough understanding of the circumstances surrounding the separation of Chief Brown’s employment with the City of Hamlet and look forward to exposing the truth,” Van Camp said.