Atlanta’s next police chief and a freewheeling political experiment
Andy Young (in black and yellow helmet) continued pedaling into his 1990 campaign for governor. George Turner, his bodyguard and future Atlanta police chief, is fourth from the left. Special
Earlier this month, Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed settled on George Turner, a man of rank-and-file origins, as the city’s police chief.
Turner must yet face a grilling from the City Council before his appointment becomes official. But there’s a piece of this cop’s background that council members probably don’t know — the mayor certainly didn’t when he picked him.
Twenty-two years ago, Turner became a key participant in one of the most unusual political experiments in Georgia history.
Before there was Barack Obama, there was Andrew Young. Young was first known as the civil rights activist able to reason with white segregationists. Then he was a congressman, followed by a stint at the United Nations.
Closing in on the end of his second term as mayor of Atlanta in 1988, Young was looking for still more frontiers, and a race for governor loomed.
But Georgia had never elected an African-American to statewide office. And Young wanted to discover for himself if voters — especially white residents of rural Georgia — were ready to cast a ballot for a black man.
“He said, ‘The only way I can really make that assessment is to go out there and get with the people,’” Turner remembered. “And what better way to do that than on a bicycle?”
So in the summers of ‘88 and ‘89, the mayor of Atlanta pedaled 400 or so miles across the most isolated roads of Georgia, stopping at convenience stores, gas stations and courthouses along the way.
Newly recommended Atlanta police chief, George Turner, left, smiles along with Mayor Kasim Reed. John Spink/AJC
Turner, then a young member of Young’s security staff and a former cornerback at Clark College, paced the mayor every mile of the way.
The future police chief would come to see the journeys as a stroke of genius. But as mayor Young also was known as a man of sudden and often strange ideas. He was, for instance, the first to broach the idea of privatizing Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.
But pedaling across the state may have been one of Young’s most eclectic ventures.
Health was an issue. Young was in his mid-50s, a tennis player by habit. And Harold Washington, the first black mayor of Chicago, had dropped dead of a heart attack only a few months earlier.
Then there was the reception that might be waiting in a state still struggling with race.
“First of all, we thought, how can we secure this guy on all of these back roads in the state of Georgia,” Turner said.
The Georgia State Patrol was brought in, as was the GBI. Sheriffs in the counties that Young passed through were happy to cooperate, Turner said.
Turner and the mayor didn’t pedal alone. They attached themselves to the Bicycle Ride Across Georgia, an organization of bicyclists still in its first years. In 1988, Young and Turner were among 1,000 or so riders who made the trip from the city of Hartwell to Jekyll Island.
“George was in excellent shape. Andy, not so much,” said Jerry Colley, the BRAG ride director. He still remembers waiting for Young and Turner on the very first morning at the Hart County Courthouse.
“We’re sitting beneath this Confederate soldier — the Confederate memorial — waiting on Andy Young to show up so we could go ride bicycles. I thought that was kind of ironic,” said Colley, now CEO of BRAG.
For the most part, Young basked in the anonymity provided by a pair of sunglasses and a black-and-yellow helmet — except for the presence of the hulking Turner, and a black city-owned Lincoln that presented itself every few miles.
But several days into the first ride, on his way to Vidalia, Turner and the mayor of Atlanta stopped to shake hands with workers at the Savannah Luggage Factory.
The general manager approached. A crisis had developed involving a black supervisor. Young stepped into the boss’ office with a few employees and spent the next half-hour mediating the labor dispute.
The mayor of Atlanta walked out with new friends and a good discount on a suitcase.
Most riders camped along the way, but after each ride Turner and Young would climb into the Lincoln and head for a secure hotel — or home to Atlanta.
Even from the back seat, Young would continue his search for a way into the heads of rural Georgia residents. “He’s always been a blues guy. But during that time he listened to a lot of country music,” Turner said.
Atlanta’s next police chief said that first bicycle jaunt from Hartwell to the coast was a major factor in Young’s decision to enter the 1990 Democratic primary race for governor.
“I think he came away from that ride with a strong sense that this was possible, that the state was ready to see a difference in the person that was in the governor’s office,” Turner said.
Twenty years ago this month, Young squeezed past a state senator named Roy Barnes and made it into a runoff with Lt. Gov. Zell Miller. That same day, the first African-American won a statewide contest in Georgia when Robert Benham was elected to the state Supreme Court.
Campaign literature had avoided use of Benham’s image. But there was no disguising the fact that Andrew Young was African-American.
In the August 1990 runoff, Miller and his idea for a lottery crushed the former mayor of Atlanta with a landslide of ballots. Precinct samples showed Miller with 83 percent of the white vote outside Atlanta.
The experiment was a success, but the mission had failed. Young never toured the state on his bicycle again. Turner, however, kept pedaling.
He and his brothers joined the BRAG ride over the next five summers. “It was just a clearing of the mind,” Turner said. “We camped every day.”
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52 comments Add your comment
Dave McGinnis Sr
July 17th, 2010
4:44 pm
Well, I guess Reed couldn’t find a qualified white candidate to fill the position. A qualified white candidate for Fire Chief also couldn’t be found. This appointment is just another round of black politicians placing their “brothers” in important key positions and weeding out the white candidates. All one has to do is look at the former “chiefs”, namely Harvard (what a joke) and Pennington (even more so), then ask yourself if the city is any safer and morale in the police ranks any better? City of Atlanta government is, at best, a complete disappointment. What Reed should understand is the fact that white officers on the APD are fully aware that the possibility of moving up in the ranks doesn’t look very promising, so they move to other departments. Just ask them.
DannyX
July 17th, 2010
5:16 pm
About what I expected, someone crying about race, the hysterical post about Atlanta hiring blacks. There will be many others that miss the point of this column and will dive right in with this racial nonsense.
Here’s a rundown of Gwinnett County crybaby,
Commission Chairman- White
County Commission- ALL white
Police Chief- White
Fire Chief- White
Corrections Director- White
Purchasing Director- White
District Attorney- White
Elections Director- White
Animal Shelter Director- White
Finance Director- White
Human Resources Director- White
Tax Assessor- White
County Solicitor- White
In case you haven’t heard Gwinnett County has become very diverse, minorities now represent about 40% of the population, are you also going to cry about the fact that just about every single leadership position in Gwinnett County is held by a white person?
Should I do the Cobb County breakdown next or do you get the picture?
(BTW Jim Great column.)
DannyX
July 17th, 2010
5:18 pm
And don’t even try. Gwinnett County has been rocked by scandal after scandal lately. Save it.
Cool Breeze
July 17th, 2010
6:27 pm
Dave McGinnis Sr,
Hey, what did you expect? This is our city, now. We will have who we want in these high paying jobs. We control things now and Atlanta will now and forever be a chocolate city!
MC W
July 17th, 2010
6:41 pm
Yo Breeze,
This city doesn’t “belong” to you people any more than it belongs to me and other white residents, students and productive workersbehind the Demarcation Line. I am a native Atlantan who’s sick and tired of being stared at on MARTA like I have no right to use it, tired of getting blown off by the police for being a VICTIM of crime, and tired of basically having to walk through this pit of a city without anybody to defend or stick up for me, because (shock and horror!) I have light skin and pleasantly curled hair, clearly devilish features. The more you shut us out, for no reason other than a lingering resentment of things that happened before most of us were born, the more Atlanta languishes in self-imposed teenage gang warfare and overall mediocrity.
Cool Breeze
July 17th, 2010
7:00 pm
MC W
Sorry for you, man, but that is just the way it is. White folks ran this city forever and did nothing for us. When we got the majority of votes, we just took it away from them. We get free medical treatment from the Gradys, a whole lots of us gets welfare and EBC cards and we get low cost or free housing with them subsidies. We gots MARTA to haul us anywheres we needs to go and before its over wit, Obama going to get us all a car. Ain’t life sweet!
An sorry about the crime thing, man, but we got to do what we got to do.
JESSIE
July 17th, 2010
7:08 pm
ATLANTA WILL BE THE NEXT DETROIT, INCOMPETENT LEADERSHIP
dwight Howard sr
July 17th, 2010
7:33 pm
Atlanta please! give Mr. Turner a chance. Lets all take the the time daily to pray for those who are in charge of making decisions that will effect our lives.
atlin83
July 17th, 2010
8:07 pm
MCW – Save it. As another white resident of Atlanta, I call bull. I ride MARTA buses and trains and don’t get stared at. We all get blown off by the APD – it’s not just because they’re out to get us whites, despite your delusional framing – it’s problems at APD that need fixing, not your color. I’ve had no reason to walk in fear anywhere – and I’ve walked through many a black neighborhood without getting messed with (actually, people tend to say “hi”). And I’ve certainly never been shut out of any opportunity – school, employment, leisure, anything.
Breeze seems like a troll, and is saying the kind of stuff I’d expect of someone who’s trying to stir up some irritation in entitled yuppies/white folks. Get over yourself. You’re not oppressed unless you’re so afraid of black people that you project your own fears onto all of your experiences in this city.
Also, your comment about blacks shutting out whites leading to gangs and more crime is patriarchal crap. Save it and go away.
Chief Michael G. Wilkie, Acworth PD
July 17th, 2010
8:09 pm
Mr. Galloway,
I don’t usually go through he exercise of posting to a blog or story, but wanted to on this one due to some of the comments already posted. Chief Turner has done more to address crime problems, build relationships with surrounding law enforcement agencies, and reach out to the community than several of his predecessors combined. He is more than competent and capable to lead Atlanta PD. He will do an excellent job, and I am quite proud to call him a friend.
Jason Stubbs
July 17th, 2010
8:14 pm
The sad part is that none of these men support the 2nd Amendment right for citizens to bear arms. They just spout the Democratic parties mantra of personal non protection.
http://www.nogunsfornegroes.com
DannyX
July 17th, 2010
8:15 pm
My guess is that Jim would find that “cool Breeze” and “MC W” have the same ip address.
Stephanie Ramage covered this story while the AJC wet the bed
July 17th, 2010
8:46 pm
The search process was rigged from the start by Lisa Borders to favor Turner. The search committed whittled it down to six finalists. They were supposed to send the top three, ranked in order to Reed. But when Turner wasn’t among the three, it was sent back and Borders told them to send Reed a list of five, not in order. That’s how Turner made the final cut, over the wishes of the search committee.
Even though Stephanie Ramage of The Sunday Paper endorsed Reed, she still had the journalistic integrity to expose the the whole scheme while the AJC was wetting the bed.
The AJC made only one oblique reference to this, probably because they knew a lot of readers knew about The Sunday Paper’s coverage, and would look even less credible than they already do by not mentioning it.
Let’s hope Turner turns out to be more competent than the AJC’s pathetic coverage of the search.
The Honkomatic
July 17th, 2010
9:54 pm
For someone not to be focused on race, “Danny X” seems to have dove “right in with this racial nonsense.”
Thanks for keeping track of the X’s and O’s along racial lines as it shows your true colors.
Oh, and make sure you track my IP address, put it in a relational database, and assign “honkster” to my racial category.
I mean you need to keep a good grudge going.
Whatever
July 17th, 2010
10:07 pm
The Honkomatic ,
Nice try. Apparently you did not get it. Danny X only brought it up because race became an issue based on the responses we got from this blog.
Is it not past your bed time ?
Question Man
July 17th, 2010
10:14 pm
Wasn’t the Bicycle Ride Across Georgia one of the few times Andrew Young was not involved in a controversy of his own making?
rooster
July 17th, 2010
10:18 pm
I’m glad Turner comes from inside APD. And I think Reed is going to be a good mayor. I do not think you’ll see him throwing the race bomb the way Bill Campbell did as mayor (or the way Shirley Franklin, John Lewis, and Andy Young did during the ‘06 Fulton Commission election campaign). Reed is a guy who has worked succesfully with a diversity of folks in the state senate, who has whites in high poistions in his administration, and who realizes that the city will be even more diverse when he stands for re-election. IN FACT, COOL BREEZE, the city is getting less chocolatey and more caramel. Since 1990, the black percentage of the population has dropped from almost 70% to about 55%. It’s now about 37% white and 8 or 9% Hispanic and Asian. In 2013, it will not be possible to be elected citywide by overtly appealing to race. Fortunately for Mayor Reed, he will not need to do any such thing. I think he has every potential to be re-elected on his merits.
Stephanie Ramage covered this story while the AJC wet the bed
July 17th, 2010
10:47 pm
Turner might turn out ok, but the process screamed business as usual in City Hall.
Of course the AJC was asleep at the switch; or perhaps they chose deliberately not to report it.
Will Jones - Atlanta Jeffersonian Exegesis
July 17th, 2010
11:22 pm
DannyX
July 17th, 2010
8:15 pm
is correct: “Breeze” is a troll and so is “MC W,” likely “neither of whom” are Atlantans.
Atlanta is the greatest city in the world with the best people. Hiring one of our own made sure the best candidate became Chief.
Riding across Georgia discovers for the benign visitor that Georgians are also the best people in the world: Monticello, Roberta, Alma, LaGrange, Glynn County…random encounters with great and good, generous, decent Americans.
If Andy Young weren’t “in-house” Rockefeller CFR he might have gained some traction.
Stephanie Ramage covered this story while the AJC wet the bed
July 17th, 2010
11:38 pm
If hiring one’s own made for the best candidate Will, why didn’t a search committee of Atlanta’s own have Turned ranked in the top three out of only six finalists?
Why did Lisa Borders have the search committee members sign non-disclosure agreements?
And why didn’t Atlanta’s own, the AJC report on any of this?
E. Lincoln
July 18th, 2010
4:39 am
Turner was selected because the Mayor and a few select City Council members believed having him as Chief met they’d have total control over APD. I’m not so sure this is a good thing.
Sad Brotha
July 18th, 2010
6:16 am
Is this the same Turner who accidentally shot a fellow police officer while in Zone1?
Andrew Davis
July 18th, 2010
7:01 am
Why does everything have tobe about race? The problems with the city isn’t about what “Black or White ” person did or didn’t do. It’s about what the “people” (voters) did or didn’t do. It’s easy to sit on your backside and point fingers. But ask yourself, what did I do to help correct the issue? Did I vote? Did I attend council meetings? Did I do anything for my city other than complain? Chief Turner was born here, educated here, grew here, and works and lives here. He knows OUR city. So for those that are not from here (Atlanta) and do not have a clue, we love you, we welcome you, but speak about what you know, and lean a hand. Let’s make Atlanta the city of brotherly love. Let’s keep race out of every issue that comes up.
This is Norman Maine
July 18th, 2010
7:26 am
Very interesting story Jim. Thanks for sharing.
RED HEAD
July 18th, 2010
7:47 am
Breeze you’re as white as my a&%. But thanks for telling us exactly how it is in the big A. Glad I had the money years ago to escape that hole. I only go back in the daytime to eat in Buckhead and buy some clothes. I now live in the deep country where I can sit on the porch, have a small farm and not have to deal with the jungle anymore.
LAWDAWG
July 18th, 2010
8:01 am
Thank goodness for Blogs…Ms. Ramage is correct… the AJC is in a coma when it wets the bed. Nothing on Cobb County’s Public Safety Director, former APD Deputy Chief Mickey Lloyd, who is being investigated for altering his bio and forging federal documents (DD214) and claiming to be a highly decorated SEAL.He will be fired when the paperwork comes in and shows him to be a phony. I see him using early retirement to hide his guilt/shame. Good luck Turner?
CarpetBagger
July 18th, 2010
8:19 am
This is a classic example of “Affirmative Action” which leads to mediocrity. The City of Atlanta or any institution who embraces Affirmative Action/Diversity (read Diversity as the new code word for Affirmative Action) will NEVER reach its full potential.This social experiment that has run amok is now leading to common-place bad results, that we are now immune to and unfortunately expect.
I do agree and see the “ATL/Black Mecca eventually turning into another Detroit. The only saving grace that is slowing this transforming decline in quality of life, is the diversity of the job sectors. NOT the diversity code word for affirmative action!
If the playing field (another anomaly) was really fair- Turner wouldn’t make the top 50.
Just be’in a realist… not racist (another code word tossed out if you disagree-buck with the dysfunctional African- American (caste) system .
Road Scholar
July 18th, 2010
8:45 am
Chief Wilkie: Thanks for your post.
The problem with Atlanta City government has been one of ethics and integrity, just like our state house. E&I knows no color! It appears Reed and Turner have these desired traits; now lets see if they get corrupted by power as others have. Also COA management needs to SUPERVISE their employees to ensure work is completed correctly and in a timely manner.
Not Going To Use My Usual Name
July 18th, 2010
8:59 am
1) Personnel matters are always among the sunshine law exceptions, so it’s no surprise that the vetting committee was asked to sign non-disclosure agreements. It’s appropriate.
2) It has *got* to be good for APD morale to know that if they do a good job, there are promotion opportunities all the way to the top.
3) Turner’s learning curve is by definition lower than any outsider’s by virtue of his familiarity with the city and the department.
4) Yes, race matters. It matters to white people, and it matters to black people. It affects leadership and cultural style as well as the way people perceive and react to someone. It is not the only thing that matters, but it does matter.
It’s a difficult situation. There were white good ol’ boy networks who systematically excluded people of color and women from positions of power. This is unacceptable, as it should be, and when the demographics shifted, so did the power.
Here’s the thing, though. The white good ol’ boy network knew how to make the trains run on time (so to speak). Part of that network included extensive mentoring in how to run a city. The prejudice was wrong, but the bureaucracy worked.
When the power shifted–as it should have–to become more inclusive, the new folks did not have the benefit of that old network with all its mentoring. The old network was corrupt, but they knew better how to hide their corruption and couch it in an acceptable-seeming facade.
The new power brokers did not have that benefit. Hence increased scandals… accusations of incompetence (sometimes accurate, sometimes just a reflection of a clumsy way of working since–again–no benefit of training/mentoring)… well, Clayton County is a great example of this. Even when people gain power, if they haven’t had it before, then they may not recognize the need to begin building their own networks *and* include education and training as part of those networks. (This is the problem of ClayCo–new folks came in, but they weren’t always willing to be educated in how a government is run. I’m looking at you, Victor Hill and ClayCo School Board).
What happens, then, is guaranteed to make both black people and white people angry. White people perceive a lack of brain drain and competence, but it’s their own fault for exclusionary practices. Black people perceive the resultant disdain from the white folks, and they resent it, but they don’t always acknowledge that they come into power at a disadvantage from lacking that mentoring.
But the tide is turning. Looks like Turner has had the benefit of on-the-job training and mentoring from former mayor Young… so I have hope that he’s going to do a great job.
DannyX
July 18th, 2010
9:44 am
@ Not Going To Use My Usual Name,
Bravo, one of the best posts ever.
tigermike
July 18th, 2010
9:54 am
I agree. In the Age of the Death of Reason, that was a well-reasoned and accurate post. Thanks!
Educator
July 18th, 2010
9:58 am
Read the “Bell Curve,” then come up with these conclusions!
Diehard
July 18th, 2010
10:24 am
Just figures – the biggest race for Gov in 20 years in this state and the AJC Insider is about a good ol’ boy getting to be police chief for the City of Atlanta . . . you can’t make this stuff up.
TRUTH ABOUT TURNER AND YOUNG
July 18th, 2010
10:49 am
Good piece, but there’s so much more, and Stephanie Ramage at The Sunday Paper is way ahead of you. Check out her cover story, “Inside Job: A Diary of How George Turner came to be named Atlanta’s Police Chief” over at sundaypaper.com, for the inside dirt on this. From his being part of Young’s personal police protection here in Atlanta to the way that Mayor Kasim Reed and Lisa Borders manipulated the citizen’s police chief search committee to make sure their buddy Turner got the job, even though the committee didn’t pick him. sundaypaper.com
J.B. STONER
July 18th, 2010
10:50 am
wish I could have gotten through to you FAT-HEAD people while I was around…
I tried to tell you about Maynard, Andy , Bill Campbell , Hosea , and now Shaheem or whatever his friggin name is…
Did anyone check his birth-certificate…
WAKE UP!!
J.B. STONER
July 18th, 2010
10:54 am
IS IT DANNY X, OR IS IT MALCOLM X………..
Sounds like 1 in the same…
Tea party or panther party.
I know which way I go……..
Angus
July 18th, 2010
11:06 am
Not Going To Use My Usual Name –
Would it be fair to say that you (b/c you are black) think it is now OK that whites (b/c they are white) are systematically excluded from positions of power in the COA (b/c blacks can now make the trains run on time)?
DannyX
July 18th, 2010
11:23 am
Angus, why is scandal plagued Gwinnett County excluding minorities from leadership positions even though minorities make up 40% of the population?
Every single commissioner and all but one department head is white. Why are minorities excluded from Gwinnett County?
Angus
July 18th, 2010
11:36 am
DannyX – I have absolutely no idea, and don’t care. I’ve never lived there, and, hopefully, never will.
Did you even read my question?
DannyX
July 18th, 2010
11:40 am
Angus do you think that its ok for whites to exclude minorities from leadership positions in Gwinnett County, even though Gwinnett County is 40% minority?
Johnny
July 18th, 2010
11:42 am
Forget comparisons to counties, like Gwinnett. Suburban counties all across America are generally doing fine. What we’re talking about is cities. Cities with racial imbalances dominated by Democrats have not done well as of late, ie Detroit, Cleveland. Other cities that have racial breakdowns more representative of America with Republicans and Democrats in the leadership have absolutely prospered. If we keep electing people like Franklin and Reed (same ideas, same background, and actually worked together for a long time), we’re going to see this city go down the tubes.
Angus
July 18th, 2010
11:46 am
No. My question is still unanswered.
TRUTH ABOUT YOUNG AND TURNER
July 18th, 2010
11:57 am
The citizens committee that rejected George Turner for the Atlanta police chief’s position was made up of blacks and whites. I think you guys are chasing a red herring when you focus on race. The real problem is how much the Atlanta junta is completely closed to younger blacks or outsider blacks or any whites who don’t pony up.
Stephanie Ramage covered this story while the AJC wet the bed
July 18th, 2010
12:12 pm
I see none one defending the pick on here is willing to talk about this; but Stephanie Ramage sure did, all while the AJC was wetting the bed
“Last summer, on the campaign trail, Reed promised voters an “open, transparent, nationwide search” for the best possible police chief for Atlanta. Shortly after taking office in January, he appointed 11 sincere and concerned citizens of Atlanta to narrow the search for Atlanta’s next police chief. But when their choices did not include Turner, Reed, with the help of Lisa Borders, co-chair of his transition team, forced Turner’s inclusion by demanding that they expand their top three picks to five.”
Saying that a non disclosure agreement might be appropriate as far as talking about the candidates themselves, but that argument doesn’t hold water when it comes to some accountability for how Borders and Reed basically manipulated the process to make Turner a finalist. In short, it made a mockery of the search committee, just like the AJC made a mockery of itself by not covering this.
A paper with the fraction of the resources runs circles around the AJC; how embarrassing.
b
July 18th, 2010
1:33 pm
I was on that BRAG and another ride that Andy was on. On a very hot day on the Carroll County ride, I dropped my bike pump and then stopped by the side of the rode near Young’s following vehicle to retrieve it. Andrew Young picked up the pump off the road and brought it to me. The driver (Turner) opened up the trunk and handed me a cold drink.
Goes to show
July 18th, 2010
3:49 pm
There’s a reason The Sunday Paper is known as “The Sunday Paper” and the AJC is known as “The Atlanta Urinal-Constipation”.
J.B. STONER
July 18th, 2010
6:44 pm
I NEVER LIVED IN GROWING AND GREAT GWINETT, BUT I TELL YOU THIS.
MARIETTA GA. DIDN’T PLAY AROUND IN MY DAY, NOSIR…
WE TOOK CARE OF PROBLEM PEOPLE, YES SIR…
ASK HOSEA.
Casper
July 19th, 2010
10:04 am
Hey Cool Breeze, to correct your ignorance, we are taking back our city, so get out. How else do you think a brain dead soccer mom like Mary Norwood came within a hair of being the first white mayor in 30 years? Next time around, hopefully we’ll have a qualified candidate run and all these positions will be filled by the new Atlanta majority race.
Washington, D.C., and Atlanta posted the largest increases in white share since 2000, each up 5 percentage points to 44 percent and 36 percent, respectively. Other white gains were seen in New York, San Francisco, Boston and cities in another seven of the nation’s 100 largest metro areas.
http://www.myfoxatlanta.com/dpp/news/whites-move-to-atlanta-other-cities-050910
favors due...pay in full!!!
July 19th, 2010
12:45 pm
Another day of politics in Atlanta, I am becoming a little dissappointed in Reed but we shall c.
shirley
July 20th, 2010
7:32 am
I recall the BRAG trip and also Chief Turner and the other young APD staffers who were assigned to then Mayor YOung. Young has connected with people of every race, political philosophy and background for years and years and Chief Turner has had the advantage as have many of us to learn about ourselves and the world from Young. The Chief’s experiences are manyfold now having spent the the last 20 plus years honing his skills, learning, watching and listening along the way. I am sure he will perform extraordinarily well as the Chief of Police.