Rico L. Boyce sworn in as Raleigh police chief at Southeast Raleigh ceremony

Chief Rico L. Boyce was sworn in as chief of the Raleigh Police Department during a March 1, 2025, ceremony at Southeast Raleigh Magnet High School, formalizing an appointment made earlier that day by City Manager Marchelle Adams David.

The oath of office was administered by Special Superior Court Judge Craig Croom, and Boyce was pinned by his mother, Pamela Nott. The ceremony included remarks from Mayor Janet Cowell, City Manager Marchelle Adams David and Tyesha Mosley, the city of Raleigh's community engagement director, and music by retired Raleigh police Senior Detective Dale Montague.

City Manager Marchelle Adams David, who said she led the hiring process, told the assembled crowd that Boyce was the clear choice. "It was a no brainer," Adams David said, praising his "intentionality, compassion and empathy." Mayor Janet Cowell said Boyce brings energy and community engagement to the role: "I am very glad that it is Chief Rico Boyce who will be holding this office," she said.

In his remarks, Chief Boyce recounted a 25-year career in Raleigh and his long ties to Southeast Raleigh, where he served as a school resource officer. He outlined three priorities for department personnel'which he called the "three P's": "present," "professional" and "prepared." "I need you to be present," Boyce said. "I need you to be professional. I need you to be prepared." He also said he would continue community-oriented work such as the "cops on the block" approach he has promoted.

Boyce thanked mentors, family and law enforcement partners who attended the event, and said the department'and the community'had supported him through his rise from recruit to chief. "I'm battle tested, and I'm ready," he said near the ceremony's close.

The program identifies Boyce as a graduate of the Raleigh Police Academy and notes roughly 25 years of service in the department. The ceremony concluded with a benediction and a reception in the school's lobby.

No formal Council vote was recorded during the event; the city manager's statement at the ceremony identified her appointment of Boyce on March 1, 2025, and the oath completed the administrative swearing-in.

Attendees included city officials, members of the Raleigh Police Department, fraternity brothers and community members from Southeast Raleigh.

For the record: Boyce took the oath to "enforce the criminal laws of this state and the city of Raleigh" and to "support and maintain the Constitution and laws of the United States and of North Carolina," language recited during the ceremony.