Sessions
Lunch: Chief Jerry Welch Exhibit Hall Event
12:25 PM - 1:45 PM Mon
Awards Banquet: Grand Hall at the Wilmington Convention Center
7:00 PM - 8:30 PM Tue
James E. Avens, Jr., Interim Chief of Police
Interim Chief Avens, a native of Halifax County, NC, began his law enforcement career in
September of 2001 with the Halifax County Sheriff’s Office where he initially served on
Patrol, and later transferred to the Narcotics Division where he served as a Drug Agent.
As his family grew, Avens sought more stability, which ultimately led him to the
Northampton County Sheriff’s Office as a School Resource Officer for Northampton County
High School East.
The strong desire to increase his professional development eventually led Avens back to
his hometown of Weldon, NC. He was hired by the Weldon Police Department in 2006,
and during his nearly 12-year tenure there he rose through the ranks, first being promoted
to Captain in 2010 and then Deputy Chief of Police in 2015. On May 8, 2017, he was
appointed as Chief of Police for the Weldon Police Department.
On August 7, 2018, James E. Avens, Jr. was hired as Deputy Chief of Police for the
Elizabeth City Police Department.
Interim Chief Avens graduated from Saint Paul’s College of Lawrenceville, Virginia in 2010
with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. He earned a Master of Science in
Administration from Central Michigan University in 2012. He has attended several top
leadership courses through the Federal Bureau of Investigations and at major universities
such as the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina State University, and
Methodist University.
He is currently serving on the State Employees Credit Union (Chairman Elizabeth City-
Northside Park Advisory Board), Community Care Collaborative Board of Directors, Juvenile
Crime Prevention Council, Stable Housing Improvement Plan Executive Board, North
Carolina Police Executives Association 1 st Vice President, Public Officer and Employee
Liability Insurance Commission, North Carolina Law Enforcement Accreditation Advisory
Committee, and is a member of International Association of Chiefs of Police. He is also a
member of several civic and law enforcement organizations throughout the State of North
Carolina. He has formerly served on the Albemarle United Way and as Region IX Director
for the North Carolina Association of Chiefs of Police.
For the past six years, Interim Chief Avens has served as Second-in-Command to the
Office of Chief of Police, a function which, amongst other things, oversees all the daily
functions of the Elizabeth City Police Department. He has assisted with special projects,
budget preparation, grant acquisition, ordinance revisions, as well as other numerous
other functions required in the day-to-day of the Department. Interim Chief Avens enjoys
serving the citizens of Elizabeth City and considers it his daily duty to find ways to better
the Department and fulfill its vision of the Pursuit of Excellence.