Asheville Police Department names 25-year veteran as new deputy chief. Who got the job?

ASHEVILLE — The Asheville Police Department announced Sean Aardema will be taking over as the second of two deputy chiefs, a position left open when Mike Lamb was promoted to chief earlier this year.

A nearly 25-year veteran on the force, Aardema will oversee APD’s operations as supervisor of the Criminal Investigations Division, Community Engagement Division and Patrol Operations Division.

“I am honored, and simultaneously extremely humbled to have been selected for this position within the organization,” Aardema told the Citizen Times May 20.

“I look forward to working with Chief Lamb and Deputy Chief Stepp as we lead the agency and directly supporting the excellent work of our officers and detectives within the Operations Bureau as they serve our community.”

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Aardema, 45, first realized his interest in law enforcement while taking a criminal justice class as an elective his freshman year of college, he said. After that initial spark, he earned an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Criminal Justice from Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College. Aardema also graduated from the FBI-Law Enforcement Executive Development Association Trilogy Program.

He started with APD in July 1999, according to a release from the department. At the beginning of his APD tenure, he served as patrol officer and detective in both the patrol and investigations divisions, Aardema told the Citizen Times.

Since then, he’s worked his way through APD’s ranks, as sergeant over the Major Crimes Unit and South Central Patrol Unit. From there, Aardema became a lieutenant, serving as the Criminal Investigations and Professional Standards Section Commander. Before this new promotion, Aardema was captain over the Patrol Division.

“When I became an APD officer many years ago, I dedicated myself to trying to serve my community as best that I could,” Aardema said.

“It was only later in my tenure that I developed an interest in leadership roles, and I am eternally grateful for having the opportunity to lead such a fine group of dedicated officers and detectives.”

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His rise through the ranks has not come without mishaps. While lieutenant, Aardema was given a citation by the Highway Patrol for driving left of center in Fairview, causing a wreck that totaled two vehicles on July 28, 2022, including one that carried an infant, according to previous Citizen Times reporting.

APD did not conduct an internal investigation of the incident, former Police Chief David Zack previously said. At the time, Aardema was head of the division that reviews civilian complaints against police and investigates all “employee-involved vehicle collisions.”

His infraction was dismissed after his insurance covered damages from the wreck he caused, which is generally the case when no extenuating circumstances are involved, prosecutor Justin Philbeck previously said.

Aardema is an Asheville native and graduated from T.C. Roberson High School. He lives in Buncombe County with his wife of 20 years and 8-year-old son, according to the department’s news release. In addition to his list of promotions, he’s also helped develop future law enforcement professionals as a Basic Law Enforcement Instructor within APD.

According to the city’s employee salary database, Aardema makes a yearly salary of $157,500 as deputy police chief. After Aardema was promoted, Capt. Brandon Moore assumed Aardema’s previous role over the Patrol Division and makes about $105,000 a year.

Ryley Ober is the Public Safety Reporter for Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Email her at rober@gannett.com and follow her on Twitter @ryleyober

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Asheville Police Department names 25-year veteran as new deputy chief