June 16, 2026
Lt. Alan Bonanno City of Hendersonville
By Jonathan Rich
BrevardBeagle.com
The Brevard Police Department has hired Hendersonville Police Department’s Lt. Alan Bonanno as the new deputy chief to serve under Police Chief Christy Wentzell effective July 6.
Chief Wentzell made the announcement during Monday night’s Brevard City Council meeting and said he will be a welcome addition as the local law enforcement applies for state accreditation.
“Alan has experience in helping the city of Henderson get accredited, he has experience in CID (criminal investigations division), as well as records management, which are all vital areas of the police department that we’re currently working on here in Brevard,” Chief Wentzell explained to Brevard City Council Monday night.
Bonanno was born in South Florida and moved with his family to Haywood County in 1998. He began his law enforcement career in 2007 with the city of Asheville and a year later moved to the Laurel Park Police Department. He worked there for seven years before transferring to the Hendersonville Police Department, where he has worked since 2015.
He has a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and law enforcement administration from Fayetteville State University and recently earned a Master of Public Safety degree from the University of Virginia. Brevard’s new chief deputy is also a graduate of Northwestern University’s School of Police Staff and Command.
Bonanno was named the Hendersonville Police Department’s “Officer of the Year” in 2016 and received an Employee of the Quarter distinction in 2017. After being promoted to sergeant in 2019, he was recognized at the 2021 regional RISE Awards for showing courage and compassion when he de-escalated a high-stakes, dangerous situation that could have otherwise resulted in the use of deadly force involving a schizophrenic man who had broken into the apartment of an elderly resident and assaulted Bonanno and another officer.
Chief Wentzell said Bonanno distinguished himself throughout the Police Department’s selection process as he earned the highest overall score among all candidates during assessments that included a written leadership exercise, mock scenarios, and two separate interview panels consisting of members of the Police Department and the city of Brevard’s human resources director.
“In addition to his exceptional performance during the assessment process, feedback received throughout Alan’s background investigation consistently highlighted his professionalism, leadership ability and integrity,” said Chief Wentzell.
Those accolades were echoed by Hendersonville Police Chief Blair Myhand, who said Bonanno’s departure will be extremely difficult for that department due to his unique skill set and contributions, but his former employer did express full support and excitement for the next chapter in Bonanno’s career.
Hail to the Chief
Brevard City Council members Gary Daniel, Dean Lytle and City Manager Wilson Hooper listen to an update from Brevard Police Chief Christy Wentzell during the June 15 meeting. Jonathan Rich / BrevardBeagle.com
The administrative change at the Brevard Police Department comes at a pivotal time for Chief Wentzell. Brevard’s first female police chief started her law enforcement work here on Jan. 1, 2026 after serving as the captain and commander of the police department’s criminal investigations division in Apex, N.C.
She currently oversees 22 full-time sworn law enforcement officers and six part-time sworn officers. The Brevard Police Department also has five full-time civilian employees and two part-time civilian employees.
Bonanno’s hiring finds the Brevard Police Department still looking to employ one remaining full-time patrol officer after Chief Wentzell extended four conditional offers of employment to four aspiring law enforcement candidates enrolled in the department’s Police Cadet Program. Pending the successful completion of their background investigations, all four cadets are scheduled to begin the Basic Law Enforcement Training (BLET) Program at A-B Tech on July 6.
With Bonanno confirmed to start as her deputy chief next month, Wentzell said the next position she intends to fill is a part-time public safety assistant who will provide administrative and operational support to allow sworn personnel to spend more time focused on law enforcement and public safety responsibilities while improving overall organizational efficiency.
Second in Command ready for his first day on the job, July 6
Having spent more than twice as much of his life in North Carolina as in Florida, Bonanno said he proudly lives in Mills River with his wife Katie and their two children, Joey (13) and Mia (10). Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his family, working on their small family farm, and enjoying all that western North Carolina has to offer.
“I have lived in western NC for nearly 30 years, primarily in Haywood and Henderson County. When I met my wife, she was living off Main Street in Brevard. Naturally, we spent a lot of time in Brevard, enjoying everything the small town had to offer,” Bonanno said when reached for comment on his promotion as second in command of the Brevard Police Department next month. “Working in Brevard will be a great opportunity for me to serve the town that I enjoyed so much as a visitor years ago. Brevard has always had a reputation for being a fun, welcoming, and safe town, attracting many tourists every year. This is a direct reflection of law enforcement in Transylvania County. The fact that Brevard has maintained a very low crime rate for many years is indicative of professional and proactive law enforcement practitioners who take building relationships in the community seriously. Having worked in law enforcement in Henderson County for 17 years, I have had many interactions with Transylvania County law enforcement. I have only ever witnessed professionalism and dedication to the profession from everyone that I have worked with.”
The incoming deputy chief said this promotion may have come at the perfect time to further his law enforcement career, help Chief Wentzell strengthen the Brevard Police Department as well as protect and serve anyone visiting and living in the land of the white squirrel.
“This is a great and exciting opportunity for me to join Chief Wentzell’s plans to further Brevard PD’s professional standing through accreditation and infrastructure adjustments,” Bonanno explained. “Chief Wentzell has a diverse background in practically every aspect of law enforcement. She has already implemented and reinforced many of the changes recommended by the consulting agency, which were heavily influenced by officer input. I look forward to working closely with her in further advancing the agency. One of my first priorities is to get to know the officers and employees on a personal level and start to develop relationships built on trust and respect.”