Year in Review: Asheville Police Chief Mike Lamb discusses his first year on the job

Asheville Police Chief Mike Lamb began 2024 as the department’s interim police chief, following the Dec. 15, 2023, resignation of former Chief David Zack. In February, Asheville City Manager Debra Campbell announced Lamb’s acceptance of the permanent position.

Lamb has served as a member of the APD for more than 26 years. Xpress caught up with him to discuss his first year as chief.

Xpress: February 2025 will mark your first year as Asheville Police Chief. What has surprised you most about your new role? 

Lamb: I have been humbled by the outpouring of support for me as chief, but more importantly support for the officers of the Asheville Police Department. I have seen that our community truly values our agency and even more so the relationships that other officers and I have developed over the years. One tenet that I have relied upon throughout my career is the fact that relationships are the real currency of policing.

When people are in crisis or need help, they will inevitably reach out to someone that they trust. It is for this reason that it is so important for officers to have strong relationships with various members of our community. Along that vein, we have reinstated the Citizens Police Academy (CPA), which was paused in 2019. The CPA provides an opportunity for members of our community to have a better understanding of police work, and it also provides an excellent opportunity for people to develop relationships with APD staff.    

What were the greatest challenges APD faced this year, both pre- and post-Helene?

The greatest challenge that we have faced both pre- and post-Helene has been our reduced staffing. This has made it difficult to offer the level of service that this community deserves. After the storm, when cell service returned, our call volume hit historic highs. These calls ranged from looting to reporting missing persons.

Despite the staffing challenges, our officers and supervisors found innovative and creative ways to deliver services and handle investigations. We also benefited from the assistance of other police departments across the state and nation offering staffing assistance. We currently have 62 vacancies, but thankfully we have 15 cadets slated to start the academy in January. This class is three times larger than classes from the last five years. I believe this is a hiring trend that will continue. 

What was the most memorable interaction you had with a member of the public this year as police chief, and what made it stand out? 

While I’ve had many memorable interactions over the last year, one that stands out was a very brief interaction between me and a man the morning of the storm. In the middle of the storm as I was driving on Tunnel Road, I looked over and saw a man who had parked his pickup near a downed tree and was in the process of sawing limbs and clearing the roadway so that first responders could pass through on U.S. 70. I told him, “Thank you,” and continued to the call I was responding to. This was the first of many instances after the storm where I witnessed our community members helping each other.  

If you could go back to Jan. 1, 2024, and offer yourself advice for the year ahead, what guidance would you give? 

Often I have been advised to not try and do everything myself. I tend to take on too many tasks. Therefore, I’d remind myself to lean on the strength of our officers, other city departments and our community. Post-Helene, I have seen firsthand how many challenges can be overcome when we all work together.