The city of Red Bank has a new police chief: 30-year police veteran Robert Simpson.
Immediately prior to this appointment, Simpson served as police chief for the city of South Pittsburg, Tenn., for just under two years. He previously retired from the Chattanooga Police Department after serving for 28 years in several roles, including community relations and as a patrol officer.
"Most of that time was as a supervisor, and I really got to enjoy leading officers," Simpson said, as to why he thinks he's a good fit for his new role in Red Bank.
Simpson replaces former Police Chief Tim Christol, whom Red Bank City Manager Randall Smith fired for undisclosed "personnel reasons" in May. Christol had been the department's chief since 2010, and has 40 years of experience in law enforcement.
"Robert Simpson has demonstrated outstanding leadership skills, ingenuity in developing programs, and has been task oriented in his prior roles," Smith said in a release. "He is an excellent, experienced law enforcement professional."
Simpson, who started in the position Aug. 30, said he plans to continue meeting the high standards set for state-accredited police departments, of which Red Bank is one of few, and make any necessary improvements based on further evaluation of the 24-person department.
Smith announced Simpson's appointment during the city commission's Sept. 5 meeting. Smith also publicly thanked Red Bank Police Sgt. John Wright for serving as interim chief following Christol's dismissal, allowing for the time necessary to find the right candidate for the job.