Lieutenant Colonel Eric Henderson is the Deputy Director & Assistant Chief. He has been with the Dayton Police Department since graduating from the Dayton Police Academy in 1999. After graduating from the Academy, he served as a patrol officer and field training officer in the West Patrol Operations Division. He was also assigned to various investigative positions in the Narcotics Bureau.

PROMOTIONS

In August of 2008, Henderson was promoted to the rank of Sergeant and was assigned to East Patrol Operations Division, Dispatch, and Homeland Security. In September of 2011, he was promoted to Lieutenant and served as commander of the Strategic Planning Bureau, which supervised the Technology Unit, Policy & Research, Inspections & Audits, and Homeland Security. In January 2015, he was reassigned as the Assistant Division Commander in West Patrol Operations Division and began serving as the Acting Division Commander in February 2016. During this time, Henderson also had collateral duties as a bomb technician assigned to the Dayton Regional Bomb Squad, which covered an eight-county region. 

In August of 2016, Henderson was promoted to the rank of Major and assigned as the West Patrol Operations Division Commander. In March 2019, he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and appointed the Assistant Chief of Police - Chief of Operations. In January 2022, Lt. Col. Henderson was promoted to Deputy Director and Assistant Chief, and he now manages the day-to-day operations of the various divisions and units of the department.

EDUCATION

Lt. Col. Henderson holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Park University. He is also a graduate of the 274th session of the FBI National Academy, Ohio Public Safety Leadership Academy, and the FBI Hazardous Device School.

PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS

Lt. Col. Henderson is a member of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE), International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), Police Executive Research Forum (PERF), Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police (OACP), and various other professional organizations.