- Officer Haley Thompson with the Hendersonville Police Department has been selected as one of the few officers in the nation to participate in the New Blue Fellowship. The fellowship is a grant-funded program for young people tasked with finding and researching emerging trends in law enforcement. The purpose of the fellowship is to identify forward-thinking young people and incubate their innovative ideas about the future of policing in America.
“I am extremely proud of Haley,” said Hendersonville Police Chief Blair Myhand. “She very clearly represents a bright future bringing new perspectives to traditional policing. I am confident she will produce new thinking to help us meet the future needs of our community. As a legacy officer, there is no one more deserving of this opportunity than her.”
Officer Thompson is the grandniece of former Hendersonville Police Officer Dennie Enevold, who was killed in the line of duty in 1981. Officer Haley Thompson started working at the Hendersonville Police Department in early 2022 and completed Basic Law Enforcement Training (BLET) through Blue Ridge Community College. She also has degrees in forensic anthropology and cellular and molecular biology from Western Carolina University. She completed her master's degree in criminal justice from Lamar University in December of 2022.
“I am grateful and excited to be part of such an important and wonderful cohort,” said Officer Haley Thompson. “As a member of New Blue, I look forward to utilizing research and devoting my time to help present a forward-thinking solution for Hendersonville. I am dedicated to improving the bond between law enforcement and the community through innovative, impactful solutions.” She thanked New Blue and Chief Myhand for giving her the chance to be a part of the fellowship.
The New Blue Fellowship kick-off meeting will take place in Chicago in June followed by bi-weekly virtual meetings and a research conference in London.
“We promote the forward thinking of our younger officers knowing that it is they who will lead this profession into the future,” said Chief Blair Myhand. “Haley represents that philosophy.” Chief Myhand explained that when he first learned about the fellowship, he jumped on the opportunity for Hendersonville to be represented. Officer Thompson is the first HPD Officer to be selected for the program.
New Blue’s mission is to create trust in policing by identifying, empowering, and activating forward-thinking officers and their innovative ideas. New Blue envisions a future where communities and law enforcement agencies collaborate with transparency and a shared dedication to justice.
To learn more about New Blue, visit https://newblue.org/
