Durango Police Chief Kamran Afzal, who started on the job 1½ years ago, is a finalist for the police chief position in Syracuse, New York.
Afzal is one of three finalists for the job, according to The Post-Standard in Syracuse. In an interview with The Durango Herald, Afzal said he wants to be closer to family members, who live on the East Coast.
“We do have some challenges with recruiting and retention in this area,” he said. “That isn’t the reason for me; it’s a very, very personal reason.”
Afzal said his time with the Durango Police Department has been professionally fulfilling, but for the past 1½ years he has flown back to the East Coast twice a month to be with his family – something that has been difficult on a personal level.
“It was an extremely tough decision, but I knew every day that passed, every time I would go back, it was really tough to come back here,” Afzal said.
Afzal came to Durango in April 2017 after working for 24 years with the Arlington County Police Department in Virginia. During the time he has been here, Afzal has put an emphasis on community policing, saying in late 2017 that “nothing is ever too trivial for us.”
The police department made a decision to purchase 40 body cameras under Afzal’s administration, something police departments around the country have employed in the wake of police shootings. Afzal has also increased police presence downtown and directed officers to use discretion when interacting with homeless people.
“If I knew then what I knew now, I probably would have taken a different path,” Afzal said of his time in Durango. “But I’m so glad I came here.”
bhauff@durangoherald.com
