Elizabeth City Police Chief James Phillip Webster had retired from the Nags Head Police Department and was planning to move his family back to his native South Carolina. But in a moment of possible divine intervention he received a phone call.
“Y’all, I was packing up my stuff in Nags Head and was headed down the road to South Carolina, when I got a phone call that y’all were looking for an interim chief,” Webster said. “If God ain’t out there then I don’t know what causes things like that to line up.”
Webster was addressing about 50 people, many of whom were city officials and fellow police officers, during his retirement ceremony in the community room at Knobbs Creek Recreation Center on Friday.
Webster announced his retirement about two months ago, and Friday brought to a close his 30-year career in law enforcement. Friday’s ceremony also honored Deputy Chief James E. Avens, whom City Manager Montré Freeman has appointed interim police chief.
Webster was named the city’s interim police chief in August 2022, replacing former Chief Larry James, who had abruptly resigned. Eight months later, in May 2023, Freeman removed “interim” from Webster’s title and named him the city’s permanent police chief.
At Friday’s ceremony, Webster thanked members of the police department for their support over the past 21 months. Addressing officers and staff, he said, “Many of you have heard me say being a cop is the best job in the world. We have a front-row seat to everything bad and good that society can throw at us.
“I’m proud to say that I wore the same badge as y’all, and we chewed the same dirt, literally,” Webster said. “I remember being in a field looking for handguns used in a crime and being in the dirt.”
Webster shared a story that involved the police department’s first homicide investigation after he took over as interim chief. He said he had been in the police department’s intelligence center and “talking a bunch of junk” about how there would be no more shots fired calls or homicides during his watch.
“And then it happened that night,” he said. “That’s karma.”
Webster acknowledged the challenges the department has overcome in the past few years, including the weeks-long protests in the aftermath of the shooting death of Andrew Brown Jr. by Pasquotank sheriff’s deputies in April 2021. The department also has seen significant turnover and still has about 20 vacancies in its officer ranks.
“You’ve weathered the storm with things that occurred before me,” Webster said. “Civil unrest, leadership changes, pay issues. My hope is you’ve weathered the worst of the storm and that better days are ahead for the department. And I think with the deputy chief stepping up that those better days are ahead.”
Webster turned to Avens and thanked him for his constant support.
“I can honestly say you always had my complete trust and faith and I wish that I could say that about all of my second commands,” he said. “You have great vision and I know you will lead this department forward in the right direction.”
Addressing Freeman and members of City Council in the room, Webster also endorsed Avens as his choice to become the city’s new permanent police chief.
“Lean on the next chief, (who) I hope I’m looking at,” said Webster, turning to face Avens. “Lean on him to provide the necessary leadership and direction. Our challenge, even though our resources are not infinite, is we must find funds to train, equip and compensate our officers.”
Webster said while the department has made considerable progress more work is necessary and “let’s don’t take our foot off the gas yet.”
Addressing members of City Council, he said, “The police chief is tasked with leading, training and equipping a department but of course y’all provide the resources to accomplish this.”
Webster is originally from Myrtle Beach, S.C., and after high school he joined the Marines and was later ordered to Beirut, Lebanon, as part of a multinational peacekeeping force deployed to Beirut between 1982 and 1984.
After the Marines, Webster earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from the University of South Carolina. In 1992, he began his law enforcement career with the North Myrtle Beach Police Department, where he excelled and in 2014 was appointed police chief.
In that time he also earned a master’s degree in criminal justice from the University of Louisville.
He served as North Myrtle Beach police chief for three years before retiring in 2017. In 2019, he and his wife Kelly moved to Dare County, where he accepted the job as chief of police for the town of Nags Head. He served another three years in Nags Head before being offered the role as interim chief in Elizabeth City.
“Chief Webster is a firm believer in 21st century policing and the effectiveness of community policing and the department has strengthened under his leadership,” Avens said.
Sgt. Eddie Graham also spoke briefly on his relationship with Webster.
“Chief got here and we bonded immediately,” Graham said. “I went into his office and introduced myself to him and let him know that if he needed anything that I’m the man for the job.”
Graham said he and Webster took several walks together through city communities to meet and speak with residents. It was something Graham said he enjoyed. Their last community walk was through the Millbrooke Circle neighborhood, off Halstead Boulevard, Graham said.
“We met some kids and they came running out of the house and wanted to take a picture with me and the chief,” Graham said.
On Friday, Graham presented Webster a framed photo from that last walk together.
Mayor Kirk Rivers, speaking on behalf of the City Council, read aloud a proclamation that thanked Webster for his service to Elizabeth City.
The mayor also expressed his appreciation for Webster’s hands-on approach to leadership, particularly in the aftermath of serious crimes. The mayor said that whenever he arrived at a crime scene Webster was already there and assisting his officers.
“When I would arrive, you would be out there looking for bullets, you would be out there talking to people, you would be firsthand on the scene to make sure that everything was done correctly,” Rivers said. “And that meant a lot to this council, that meant a lot to me to show that you were a hands-on type of person.”
Capt. Darrell Felton presented Webster a plaque for his service and Officer James Bray and Desiree Wood presented Webster a shadow box on behalf of the department’s community policing division.
Agent Lamont Butts compiled a video tribute that featured photos of Webster at different stages of his career and went back as far as his time in the Marines.
The video opened with the theme song from the 1990s police TV reality series “Cops” and also included the Marines’ Hymn and music by the bands U2, Metallica and Alter Bridge.
The ceremony concluded with Freeman presiding over the retirement ceremony, in which he accepted Webster’s resignation to retire and named Avens as interim chief.
Webster was joined by his wife Kelly at Friday’s ceremony. Avens’ fiancée Maya White was also in attendance.
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