The Fuquay-Varina Police Department stands on the values of fairness, vigilance, professionalism, and dedication. Upholding these values is essential for anyone who steps into the leadership position. When Chief Laura Fahnestock retired in February 2022, the 14-member search committee found just the person to carry on the tradition. Chief Brandon Medina, the new leader for the more than 60 men and women of the Fuquay-Varina Police Department, is committed to maintaining the department’s standard of excellence.
Chief Medina began his service to the town in mid-April, but even before accepting the position he visited the town several times and was pleased by what he found, exclaiming that you can feel the positiveness in the people. His opinion has only become more favorable since moving here.
“I have been here for just a couple of weeks [at the time of interview], and I am excited to see such support for the police department,” said Chief Medina. “The people here have opened their arms to me. This is a great town, and the people here are great.”
Chief Medina entered the military at age 17 and has served in both the Navy and Army as a hospital corpsman. He retired from the Army National Guard with 20 years of service. While in service to our country, he received numerous accolades including the Army and Navy Achievement Medals, the Army Commendation Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and the National Defense Service Medal. These awards for service have continued into his law enforcement career as Chief Medina was recognized as the Lion’s Luncheon Club Police Officer of the Year in 2003 and the 2020 American Legion North Carolina Law Enforcement Officer of the Year.
An advocate for continuing education, Chief Medina has earned a master’s degree in management with concentration in human resources from American Military University and a master’s degree in criminal justice from the University of Louisville. He vehemently encourages his employees to pursue not only professional development and training, but also education opportunities for personal growth.
The Chief is originally from the Bronx in New York City, but he has a long history in the State of North Carolina, beginning with his time at Fort Bragg. While he was there, it was common for area police departments to send recruiters to talk with the soldiers. After several years in military service and multiple deployments to Africa, a career in law enforcement seemed like a natural fit.
“While in the Army, I would deploy for 90 days at a time to Africa,” said Chief Medina. “We would teach the people how to defend themselves and help them build safe communities. Having to leave in 90 days meant that we didn’t get to see the results of our efforts. With law enforcement, we get to work with people and see the results.”
Chief Medina’s many years in law enforcement, first with the Rocky Mount Police Department, then as the Chief Deputy of the Nash County Sheriff’s Office, has prepared him for his current position as the head of the FVPD. In addition, for the past four years, while working in law enforcement, he has held the position of Adjunct Professor of Justice Studies at North Carolina Wesleyan University. He has numerous ideas on how to build on the already well-respected reputation of the department.
One program that is important to Chief Medina is the church and business safety program that he implemented in Nash County. This free program provides church leaders and business owners with a security survey and plan that not only helps them identify safety risks, but also gives guidelines and processes to use during and after an emergency event. Chief Medina had so much success providing this program for churches, that he expanded it to include medical facilities and businesses. He is excited to soon be offering this service to the Fuquay-Varina community.
The Chief also expressed that he is an advocate for children and senior safety initiatives. He is on the board for The Children’s Advocacy Center of North Carolina and was glad to learn of the new recreational facility in Fuquay-Varina, which will include more senior-focused programs. Chief Medina would like to offer fraud prevention and education classes to help senior citizens, a group often targeted by financial scams.
Another area to which the Chief will be giving great attention is the evaluation of calls for mental health emergencies. It is his goal to apply for grant funding to hire a social worker equipped to work with persons experiencing a non-violent mental health emergency. This social worker will be trained to help people in crisis, and their loved ones, through each situation and will have access to resources and programs for continued care. This will allow the officers on duty to respond to other calls, providing more services to more community members.
Chief Medina also looks forward to applying for national accreditation. This process can take a year or more and is extremely in-depth, but Chief Medina feels the department is deserving. He states, “The men and women here do a lot of great things. We are going above and beyond, not just doing the minimum.”
He credits the town administrators for providing great incentives for police officers, such as higher-than-average pay, higher pay for experience at other agencies, rolled-over vacation pay rates from other agencies, and foreign language and higher education incentives. These advantages make it easier to hire loyal, dedicated men and women.
When it comes to the Fuquay-Varina community, Chief Medina is grateful to have had such a warm welcome. He has already attended a FM2FV event, been a judge at a Fuquay-Varina High School nutrition class cooking contest, and he has met several business owners and community members. When asked how the community can support the police department, he replied that community members should discuss their concerns and questions with the department because two-way communication is vital. Chief Medina also wants to encourage ride-alongs, when citizens ride with police officers on calls, so the community can see first-hand what the job entails. The Citizen’s Police Academy is also a great way to learn more about the department and become an informed ambassador for the work the men and women in law enforcement do every day. For more information on the Citizen’s Police Academy, visit https://www.fuquay-varina.org/1168/Citizens-Police-Academy.
Chief Medina is adamant that he wants to preserve what works well with the department. His first weeks on the job have been largely learning and observing what is already in place. He has taken input from the officers and staff and community members to determine the best path for the continued success of the department.
When Chief Medina isn’t acclimating to his new work environment, he is busy exploring his new home. He has enjoyed trying the local cuisine, attending events, and learning his way around town. He is looking forward to bringing his fiancée, her teenage son, and his 10-year-old, rescued Boxer to their future home, and to visits from his two grown sons and his mother. He enjoys riding mountain bikes and restoring motorcycles. The Chief has a 1976 Honda he converted to a café racer, and he is in the process of restoring a 1976 MB MGB. You may also find Chief Medina on one of the area lakes in his 1978 Bonito boat, which he rebuilt several years ago. With his new workplace and his new home, Chief Medina is settling in and growing to love Fuquay-Varina.
