About Us

POLICE CHIEF

Patrick Smith

(704) 216-7581 | psmit@salisburync.gov

Throughout his tenure with Salisbury, Smith held various positions with ever-increasing leadership responsibilities. He began his career in law enforcement 18 years ago as a SPD patrol officer. In 2009, he was promoted to criminal investigation detective. Five years later, he was elevated to patrol sergeant and then was promoted to lieutenant over the special investigations division in 2018.

Most recently, he held the position of captain over the investigations bureau. There, Smith supervised the services bureau comprised of seven units: general investigations, violent crimes investigations, vice/narcotics, neighborhood crime abatement team, the crime lab, organizational development, and hiring. These units are responsible for specialized investigations that go beyond the routine response of daily operations of the department and require that its personnel have specialized skills and training. In addition to hiring, organizational development is responsible for leading the department’s internal practices and employee career enhancements.

Smith has led various crime reduction strategies throughout his tenure, including increasing community engagement relationships and implementing the Chief Jerry Stokes Crime Information Center. He also managed crime analytics and records division staff.

Before joining the Salisbury Police Department, Smith worked at Salisbury’s Food Lion corporate office from 1990 until 2004. While with Food Lion, he managed retail, distribution, human resources, and procurement.

Smith has been a part of the community for nearly 50 years after his family moved to Salisbury from Greensboro when he was three months old. He and his wife have four children and three grandchildren.

Smith holds a bachelor's degree from Columbia College in criminal justice and will receive his master’s degree in leadership with a concentration in human resource management from Pfeiffer University this December.

DEPUTY POLICE CHIEF

Audria Bridges

(704) 638-2142 | audria.bridges@salisburync.gov

Audria brings with her nearly three decades of experience in law enforcement, starting out as a patrol officer in Concord, North Carolina in 1996. Audria joined the State Bureau of Investigation in 1998, working her way up through the ranks as Assistant Special Agent in Charge and Special Agent in Charge both in the Charlotte District before retiring as the Assistant Director of Professional Standards in 2024.

Audria’s passion for serving the community began in Concord as she worked with faith-based organizations and youth summer camps in the Logan community on various back to school initiatives. During her 26-year career with the State Bureau of Investigation, Audria was instrumental in policy updates and projects regarding use of force data collection, public corruption and training initiatives.

Audria obtained her bachelor’s degree in criminal justice-political science from North Carolina State University and her master’s degree in business administration with a public safety focus from Pfeiffer University. Audria completed the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia in 2011, and the Senior Management Institute for Police in Boston, Massachusetts, through the Police Executive Research Forum in 2022, both nationally recognized as top tier leadership programs. 

Audria is known across the state not just for her deep knowledge and experience, but for the way she leads—with heart, with purpose, and with a strong belief in the power of partnerships between police and the community.