Local officials are all saying the same thing about the city of Henderson’s next chief of police, Billy Bolin: he knows how to build relationships, a key component of community policing.
Bolin, who served as chief of the Evansville Police Department for 12 years, was appointed by the Henderson City Commission to be the next police chief of the Henderson Police Department Tuesday afternoon at a special called meeting.
There is one stipulation. Bolin has spent most of his career in Indiana, and before he can assume the position of top cop with HPD, he must become certified within 90 days to serve as a police officer in Kentucky. His title will be police consultant until he becomes certified, said City Manager Buzzy Newman.
All of Bolin’s years as chief at EPD were under former Mayor Lloyd Winnecke, who praised his former chief’s work.
“Any community that can have Billy leading their police department is really fortunate,” Winnecke said in an interview with the Hendersonian.
Winnecke, who served three terms as Evansville mayor, said the reason Bolin remained at the helm of EPD throughout his 12 years was because the chief became a better leader as time went on.
“My confidence always grew with him,” Winnecke said.
Winnecke said Bolin has “great integrity,” always stands up for his officers and is committed to the community’s safety.
But his greatest asset is his ability to build relationships, said the former mayor. Winnecke pointed to Cops Connecting with Kids and Coffee with a Cop, two programs he said Bolin started while EPD chief as proof of his relationship building. With his starting both programs “you see a chief who really understands the big picture,” he said.
Bolin started his career at HPD, working at the local department from 1995-1998 before moving over to EPD. In his early years in Henderson, Bolin worked alongside current Henderson County Sheriff Chip Stauffer, and they’ve stayed in touch since Bolin left, said the sheriff.
Stauffer said Bolin’s relationship building is something he admired while watching Bolin’s tenure as EPD chief. Stauffer served as HPD’s chief from 2014-2018.
Stauffer echoed Winnecke’s thoughts, saying Bolin was able to bring people together and build partnerships. Stauffer also mentioned the Cops Connecting with Kids program, but additionally spoke of Bolin’s involvement with Guns ‘n Hoses, a charitable event when police officers box firefighters.
“Those types of programs help to build relationships with the community within law enforcement,” Stauffer said.
Another strong initiative that Bolin got going at EPD was utilizing social media to get information about incidents out quickly, Stauffer said. He said instead of withholding information, Bolin’s EPD disseminated what it could quickly. Stauffer said this also has the effect of building trust with the community.
Bolin agreed with that sentiment Tuesday afternoon, saying he’d be very accessible to the public and to the media.
Lt. Stuart O’Nan, the public information officer at HPD, said there’s a general feeling of excitement about Bolin’s arrival at the department.
O’Nan said he’s worked with Bolin a bit with the Cops Connecting with Kids program (the Henderson version of this program came with help from the previously established Evansville program) and he’s seen Bolin’s enthusiasm for people.
“He seems like a genuinely good guy,” O’Nan said.
O’Nan said many Henderson officers are interested to see if Bolin, after having worked at a much larger department, will bring new initiatives or programs to HPD.
Tuesday after the announcement, Bolin said he’d not yet been able to assess any new initiatives HPD may take on under his watch. He said HPD is already doing some of the community programs he’s known for, such as Coffee with a Cop and Cops Connecting with Kids.
For now, he also said it’s a bit early to address any morale issues or retention issues at the department. He first wants to meet individually with HPD officers and get to know them on a personal and professional level, Bolin said.
HPD Deputy Chief Bob Shoultz, who has also just re-joined HPD after a career with the Kentucky State Police, also started off at HPD and was Bolin’s training officer when he first joined HPD in the 1990s. He said Bolin possesses the ability to engage the public but to also handle the difficult situations of running a police department. It’s a “rare quality to do both of those very well,” Shoultz said.
Current EPD Chief Philip Smith, who was appointed chief by new Evansville Mayor Stephanie Terry in January, attended the commission meeting and press conference. He said he and Bolin are close friends and talk daily, which will serve to increase the level of cooperation between the departments.
Smith, who was assistant chief under Bolin, said his mentor’s 12 years of experience leading a different department will pay big dividends. The Henderson Police Department “will thrive,” Smith said.
After retiring from EPD early this year, Bolin said he wanted to stay away from any more law enforcement work and was ready to try new things. But then the chief position here became available.
He said he became interested because it was Henderson and “that’s where I began.”
The job became available on Feb. 27, when former HPD Chief Sean McKinney announced he was resigning. The position was posted on the city’s job board that day and remained open for one week.
Newman said the one-week timeframe the job was posted is atypical, saying many remain longer. He said there were seven external applicants, two internal applicants and one local applicant that’s not an employee of HPD.
Henderson Mayor Brad Staton said Bolin’s salary will be $108,000 per year.
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According to a release from the city, Bolin must pass the Peace Officer Professional Standards to assume the chief of police position.
POPS certification requires law enforcement officers must:
- Be U.S. citizens
- Be at least 21 years old
- Have obtained a high school diploma or its equivalent
- Possess a valid driver’s license
- Submit fingerprints for a criminal background check
- Not be convicted of a felony offense
- Not be prohibited by federal or state law from possessing a firearm
- Have read the Code of Ethics
- Not have received a dishonorable discharge or general discharge under other than honorable conditions
- Not have had a certification as a peace officer permanently revoked in another state
- Have a background investigation
- Have a medical examination
- Be interviewed by their potential agency’s executive
- Take a written suitability screener
- Pass a drug-screen test
- Take a polygraph examination
- Bench press 64% of their body weight
- Complete 18 sit-ups within one minute
- Finish a 300-meter run in 65 seconds
- Perform 20 push-ups
- Run 1.5 miles within 17 minutes and 12 seconds
