Durham mayor and council honor Chief Patrice Andrews as she prepares to retire

Durham’s mayor and council opened their work session with public remarks acknowledging Police Chief Patrice Andrews’ retirement and thanking her for decades of service.

Chief Andrews, who joined the Durham Police Department after earlier leadership in Morrisville and returned to Durham in 2021, spoke briefly about her career and said she looks forward to the next chapter. City Manager (S12) and several council members credited Andrews with fostering transparency, listening sessions across the department and improving morale. "You have provided tremendous leadership in what I think really is one of the hardest jobs in city government," one council member said while praising her commitment to accessibility and departmental reform.

City Manager (S12) told the council he would name Walter Tate as the interim chief while the city completes a national search. The manager said the city is fortunate to have someone "of his caliber" ready to step into the role and thanked Andrews for making the transition manageable.

Council members noted a mix of appreciation and personal reflections about working with Andrews. The council’s remarks and the chief’s brief comments focused on institutional improvements such as HEART program partnerships and efforts to bridge law enforcement and community groups.

The work session did not include a formal vote related to the chief’s transition; the city manager confirmed that Tate will serve in the interim while staff and council complete the recruitment process. The council’s next steps will include administrative oversight of the transition and continued public updates as the recruitment proceeds.