Harold Medlock

Harold Medlock
Nationality	American
Occupation	Law enforcement executive, police reform consultant
Employer	Fayetteville Police Department (former); Charlotte Police Department (former)
Known for	Community policing reforms as Fayetteville Police Chief; police reform consulting work

Harold Medlock is an American law enforcement executive and police reform advocate who served as the Chief of Police for the Fayetteville Police Department and spent over three decades with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department in Charlotte, North Carolina. Medlock drew national attention during his tenure as Fayetteville's police chief for his efforts to transform the department's approach to crime-fighting through community engagement, trust-building, and reform-oriented policing strategies. His career, spanning nearly four decades in law enforcement, has been defined by a consistent emphasis on bridging the divide between police officers and the communities they serve. After stepping down as chief in Fayetteville, Medlock continued his work in police reform on a national scale, including involvement in efforts to reform the Chicago Police Department. His approach to policing communications, traffic stop reform, and community-oriented strategies has been cited in national publications and by organizations focused on criminal justice policy.

Career

Charlotte Police Department

Harold Medlock began his law enforcement career with the Charlotte Police Department in Charlotte, North Carolina. He joined the department approximately 37 years before 2018, placing the start of his career in the early 1980s. During his time with the Charlotte department, Medlock rose through the ranks and gained extensive experience in urban policing. In a 2018 article for Police Chief Magazine, Medlock reflected on the evolution of law enforcement communication during his career, noting that when he first joined the Charlotte Police Department, officers were issued two-way radios to communicate with dispatchers—a contrast to the wide array of digital communication tools available to modern police departments.

Medlock's long tenure in Charlotte shaped his philosophy on policing. He would later describe the Charlotte Police Department as a model for community-oriented crime-fighting, and his experience there informed the reforms he would pursue as chief in Fayetteville.

Fayetteville Police Chief

Medlock served as the Chief of the Fayetteville Police Department, a position in which he became one of the most prominent police reform figures in North Carolina. His appointment marked a turning point for the department, as he sought to fundamentally change the way the city approached crime reduction and public safety.

Community Policing Reforms

Central to Medlock's approach as Fayetteville's police chief was a philosophy of building trust between law enforcement officers and the communities they policed. In a 2014 report by WRAL, Medlock articulated his vision for transforming the Fayetteville Police Department by fostering what he described as a "true sense of community" between officers and residents. He explicitly cited the Charlotte Police Department as a model for his crime-fighting strategy, seeking to replicate elements of Charlotte's community policing approach in Fayetteville.

Medlock's reform efforts drew national attention. His emphasis on engagement, transparency, and accountability within the department positioned Fayetteville as an example for other law enforcement agencies seeking to adopt community policing principles. The Fayetteville Observer described Medlock as a police chief "who drew national attention for reform," underscoring the degree to which his work resonated beyond the borders of Cumberland County.

Evolving Police Communications

As part of his reform-oriented leadership, Medlock was an advocate for modernizing police communication strategies. Writing in Police Chief Magazine in April 2018, Medlock detailed the transformation of law enforcement communication tools over the course of his career. He described the shift from the two-way radios issued to officers when he joined the Charlotte Police Department decades earlier to the social media platforms and digital communication tools that had become central to modern policing by the 2010s. Medlock emphasized that effective policing required the use of every available communication tool, from traditional face-to-face interactions—symbolized by the handshake—to digital engagement through social media platforms and hashtags.

This philosophy reflected Medlock's broader belief that community trust was built through consistent, transparent communication. He recognized that as communities evolved and communication patterns shifted, law enforcement agencies needed to adapt their outreach strategies accordingly.

KKK Incident

In September 2015, Medlock was personally targeted by the Ku Klux Klan. A racist flyer was left on the front lawn of his home. Medlock publicly expressed anger over the incident, speaking with ABC11 about the experience. The targeting of a sitting police chief by the KKK drew media coverage and highlighted the tensions surrounding law enforcement reform efforts in the region. Medlock's willingness to speak publicly about the incident was consistent with his broader commitment to transparency and his refusal to be intimidated by racist threats.

Departure from Fayetteville

In August 2016, Medlock announced his decision to step down as Fayetteville's police chief. The Fayetteville Observer reported that Medlock was "at peace" with his decision to leave the position. The article noted that a recurring old shoulder injury had flared up while Medlock was at his home on a Sunday, contributing to the timing of his decision. Despite the physical toll, Medlock's departure was described as a considered and deliberate choice rather than a sudden resignation.

Medlock's tenure as chief left a significant mark on the department. His reforms to community policing practices and his emphasis on trust-building between officers and residents were considered defining elements of his leadership. The attention his work received at the national level ensured that his influence extended well beyond his time in the role.

Post-Fayetteville Reform Work

After leaving the Fayetteville Police Department, Medlock continued his involvement in police reform on a broader scale. By 2021, he was part of a group working to reform the Chicago Police Department, one of the largest and most scrutinized law enforcement agencies in the United States. The Fayetteville Observer reported in February 2021 that Medlock was "still at it," indicating his ongoing commitment to the reform principles he had championed throughout his career. The article noted that Medlock remained proud of the work he had accomplished in Fayetteville, viewing it as a foundation for his continued reform efforts.

Medlock's involvement in Chicago police reform reflected the national scope of his reputation. The Chicago Police Department had been the subject of extensive scrutiny following a series of high-profile incidents and a U.S. Department of Justice investigation, making it a focal point for police reform advocates. Medlock's participation in these efforts placed him among a cohort of law enforcement leaders working to address systemic issues within one of America's most prominent police departments.

Traffic Stop Reform

Medlock's influence extended into the area of traffic stop policy reform, an issue that gained increasing national attention in the 2020s. The Vera Institute of Justice, a nonprofit organization focused on criminal justice reform, has highlighted the importance of reducing non-safety-related traffic stops as a means of both improving public safety and addressing racial disparities in policing. In a January 2024 report, the Vera Institute presented data showing that cities across the country were benefiting from policies that reduced such stops, with the organization arguing that "police are stopping fewer drivers — and it's increasing safety."

The Vera Institute's broader initiative to map the progress of policies limiting non-safety-related traffic stops, documented in a March 2025 publication, reflected a growing movement in which Medlock's earlier reform work in Fayetteville was situated. The organization's work with government and civic leaders to "build and improve justice systems that ensure fairness, promote safety, and strengthen" communities aligned with the principles Medlock had advocated throughout his career.

Medlock's advocacy for reforming traffic stop practices was consistent with his broader philosophy that effective policing required moving away from enforcement-heavy tactics that eroded community trust and toward strategies that prioritized genuine public safety concerns.

Personal Life

Limited public information is available about Medlock's personal life. During his tenure as Fayetteville police chief, his home was targeted by the Ku Klux Klan with a racist flyer left on his front lawn in 2015, an incident that Medlock publicly condemned. In August 2016, at the time of his departure from the Fayetteville Police Department, Medlock referenced an old shoulder injury that had repeatedly flared up, suggesting that physical wear from his decades-long career in law enforcement had taken a toll.

Recognition

Harold Medlock's reform-oriented approach to policing earned him recognition at both the regional and national levels. His work as Fayetteville police chief was described by the Fayetteville Observer as having "drew national attention for reform," and his leadership was the subject of coverage by multiple North Carolina media outlets, including WRAL and ABC11.

Medlock was invited to contribute to Police Chief Magazine, the official publication of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, where he authored an article in April 2018 on the evolution of police communication strategies. The publication of this article placed Medlock's ideas before a national audience of law enforcement leaders and policymakers.

His selection to participate in the reform of the Chicago Police Department further reflected the national standing he had achieved as a result of his reform efforts in Fayetteville. The Chicago reform initiative represented one of the most significant police reform projects in the United States, and Medlock's inclusion in the group tasked with this effort indicated the regard in which his expertise was held by the broader police reform community.

Legacy

Harold Medlock's career in law enforcement spans a period of significant transformation in American policing, from the community policing movements of the late twentieth century to the widespread calls for police reform that characterized the 2010s and 2020s. His work in Fayetteville, North Carolina, represented an effort to demonstrate that reform-oriented policing could be implemented in mid-sized American cities, not just the large metropolitan departments that typically received the most attention.

Medlock's emphasis on trust-building between police and communities anticipated many of the reform priorities that would become central to national conversations about policing in the years following his departure from Fayetteville. His advocacy for transparent communication, his willingness to challenge traditional enforcement-heavy approaches, and his commitment to community engagement positioned him as a figure whose ideas were ahead of the broader national conversation.

The trajectory of Medlock's career—from beat officer in Charlotte to police chief in Fayetteville to national reform consultant in Chicago—illustrates the arc of a law enforcement leader whose approach evolved alongside, and at times ahead of, changing public expectations for policing in America. His contributions to the discourse on traffic stop reform, community policing, and police communication strategies have been reflected in the work of organizations such as the Vera Institute of Justice, which has documented the benefits of the kinds of reforms Medlock championed.