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Buncombe sheriff hires Blake as chief deputy

Hendersonville Police Chief Herbert Blake will become chief deputy for the Buncombe County sheriff's office. [LIGHTNING FILE PHOTO]

By Lightning Reports, Published: August 11, 2020

The resignation of Hendersonville police Chief Herbert Blake is a mystery no more.

One day after the city announced Blake's resignation with no explanation, Buncombe County Sheriff Quentin Miller announced that he had hired Blake as his chief deputy. Blake has served as Hendersonville's police chief for 12 years and prior to that as police chief of Loris, South Carolina, for seven years. He has a total of 25 years of full-time experience in law enforcement and also trained as a law enforcement specialist with the U.S. Navy.

“Chief Blake has led the Hendersonville PD in a professional and responsive manner for the last 12 years," Miller said in a news release. "Both law enforcement professionals and the community he served in Hendersonville will tell you he is well-respected and appreciated. It took me some time to get Chief Blake to leave a good situation and I am excited about the opportunity to work with him in serving the people of Buncombe County and working together toward implementing 21st Century policing."

During Chief Blake’s leadership the Hendersonville Police Department implemented body cams to increase accountability, put in place a “duty to intervene” policy, a ban on chokeholds and strangleholds and “comprehensive reporting of use of force, including any physical contact or presentation of a weapon.”

Blake has also been a vocal proponent of de-escalation and officer training.

"We review every use of force," he said. "There’s a comprehensive document that we have. And if we make mistakes, we correct the mistakes.”

Along with the city administration and elected council, Blake won praise for working closely with organizers of a Unite for Peace march downtown on June 6 when rallies protesting the May 25 death of George Floyd in police custody had turned violent in other cities. One of the organizers as the rally got under way thanked Blake and the sheriff's office for working with her and other organizers to ensure the event would remain peaceful and that protesters would be protected.

“Hendersonville is a wonderful city. And I am proud of the many service oriented initiatives we implemented with the men and women of HPD during my stewardship there," Blake said in a statement. "Still, having an opportunity to serve in a leadership position with Sheriff Miller at the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office during this important time in society presents a unique professional opportunity. I look forward to serving with the men and women of the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office. I know they, like Sheriff Miller, are eager to excel and make a positive difference in Buncombe County."

Blake holds a B.S. in Criminal Justice Administration from Park University and a Master's Degree in Management from Webster University. Blake also graduated from the Public Executive Leadership Academy at the School of Government at UNC Chapel Hill, the Police Executive Development Programs at Penn State University and the Executive Management Program of Northwestern University. He has been married to Linda Blake for 33 years.

Hendersonville City Manager John Connet plans to name an interim police chief before Blake departs on Aug. 21 and then launch a search for his replacement in consultation with the City Council.

"We'll open it up for applications and post and do a nationwide search, open it up externally and internally and look for the best candidate," he said. "I'm looking for an interim now."