Decatur has a new police chief.
The City Commission confirmed the appointment of Scott Richards as the city’s top cop at their Monday meeting. Richards, who was the department’s interim police chief, was named as the sole finalist for the job earlier this month.
Richards has been with the department since 1994, and he was promoted to deputy police chief in 2016. He’s served as the city’s interim chief since Chief Mike Booker retired last April, ending his 15-year tenure as chief.
“Chief Richards’ proven leadership skills, strong community relationships and creative approaches to policing make him the most qualified person for this position,” City Manager Andrea Arnold said in a news release. “I am confident that he will listen and engage with all in order to serve our community well.”
Last July, the city initiated a national recruitment process with the assistance of GovHR, a staffing company for governments and nonprofits. Arnold said community members, city employees and stakeholders were surveyed and consulted throughout the search, which also involved several interviews and assessments.
Richards said in the release that he’s excited to step into the new role.
“We have an amazing group of dedicated, compassionate and empathetic employees at the police department that I am looking forward to continuing to work with to propel the department into the future through innovative technology, community policing, and 21st century policing initiatives,” he said. “We will explore new and innovative community policing initiatives and will work even harder to establish trust and build relationships within our community.”
Mayor Patti Garrett said the city’s leadership is excited to give Richards the reins to the police department, adding that, “He has been instrumental in shaping the culture of the department that practices community policing and embodies the values of integrity, empathy, humility and trust.”
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