By Chief Kirk Giles
Huntsville Police Department
As the City of Huntsville’s newly appointed Chief of Police, I am grateful to Mayor Tommy Battle, City Administration and the City Council for their confidence in me and our outstanding team of officers and civilian personnel.
With this honor, my 45-year career has truly come full circle. I am humbled and blessed to serve and lead the brave and exemplary men and women of the Huntsville Police Department.
Mark Twain once said that the two most important days in your life are the day you were born and the day you find out why. I vividly remember the interaction that led me to my “why.”
I decided on my future career as a teenager. While working a summer job, I had a brief interaction with a Huntsville Police sergeant. I remember the sergeant being professional and genuine.
He asked me about my career goals and told me about the Huntsville Police Department’s Ranger program. I joined the program which gave me an opportunity to ride with officers and learn what the job of a police officer is all about.
From that opportunity, I knew what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. As soon as I was old enough, I applied to become a police officer and proudly joined the men and women in blue.
Throughout my four-decade career with the Huntsville Police Department, I’ve seen many positive changes in our department and in policies and procedures related to community policing. This evolution will continue.
The role of a police officer is more than enforcing the law. It is about showing compassion, empathy and respect to help your fellow community members. I walk alongside each of you in wanting the best for our community. It’s not just your home, but mine too.
As your Chief of Police, I pledge to continue working together to provide the best training and resources for our officers to effectively do their jobs and grow in their roles as public servants. We will continue to strive to recruit and retain a diverse department that best represents the diverse community we serve.
I want to personally thank each of you, our citizens, for your ongoing support of our police officers, and I look forward to continuing to serve for you in my new role.
South Huntsville Neighbors 