Asheville Police names Henderson County native as first female deputy chief
ASHEVILLE — The Asheville Police Department has named its first female deputy chief, to replace Deputy Chief James “Jim” Baumstark, who recently announced his upcoming retirement on Nov. 1.
This month marks 18 years since the new deputy chief, Jacquelyn “Jackie” Stepp began as a patrol officer with APD, according to an APD Facebook post. Since then, she has risen through the ranks after becoming sergeant over APD’s Downtown Bike Unit and Internal Affairs in 2012.
"As a child growing up in Western North Carolina, I knew that I wanted to serve in law enforcement, specifically as a member of the Asheville Police Department," Stepp said Oct. 3. "As deputy chief, I am excited and honored to serve our community, the City of Asheville, and the APD."
Stepp, 43, was promoted in 2016 to lieutenant, serving as the West Asheville District Commander, Recruitment and Career Commander and the Professional Standards Sections Commander. Then in 2019, Stepp became the captain over APD’s Finance and Support Division, Patrol Division and Community Engagement Division.
According to the city of Asheville's employee salary database, as of Oct. 3 Stepp's salary is $105,235.79. Stepp officially started the new role on Sept. 30.
"While I am the first female deputy chief, I would be remiss if I did not recognize the females before me who served in various leadership roles and helped pave the way," Stepp said. "Women have been underrepresented in policing and even more so in leadership positions in law enforcement agencies, and I have always had a personal goal to demonstrate that there is a place at the table for us."
Stepp’s new position is not the first time she has been the only woman to hold a certain role in APD. She is also the department’s only female firearms instructor, according to the social media post. Outside of her promotions, the Henderson County native has also served as a field training officer, crowd control team member, bike team member and community resource officer.
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Beyond her on-the-job experience, Stepp has graduated multiple different law enforcement programs, including:
The Police Executive Research Forum Senior Management Institute
The FBI Law Enforcement Executive Development Association Trilogy program
The Internal Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) Women’s Leadership Institute
The WNC Law Enforcement Leadership Academy
Stepp also holds undergraduate and graduate degrees from Western Carolina University.
On a daily basis, APD has 139 sworn officers out of 238 available, police spokesperson Samantha Booth said Oct. 3, and the department is down 42% in staffing as of Oct. 3. APD currently has 25 sworn female officers. Job postings for police officers and trainees are continuously open, Booth previously said.
"I feel fortunate to be able to work alongside a great leadership team that has extensive experience at the APD and with the men and women who go out every day and serve our community," Stepp said.
Ryley Ober is the Public Safety Reporter for Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. News tips? Email Ryley at [email protected]. Please support local, daily journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Asheville Police Department names first female deputy chief
