Sgt. Bobby Simpson of the Chattanooga Police Department talks to a group of realtors at the Chattanooga Association of Realtors in 2005.SOUTH PITTSBURG, Tenn. -- After a few weeks without a police chief, the South Pittsburg City Commission voted unanimously in February to offer the job to Robert "Bobby" Simpson.
He has been on the job for about a month and, this week was introduced officially to the town's citizens at the board's regular monthly meeting.
Simpson, a retired Chattanooga police officer, said he loves South Pittsburg already because everyone has been so nice and welcoming since he arrived.
"It's just been amazing," he said. "I really appreciate how smoothly everything has gone."
The town has been working recently with just six officers to fill two 12-hour shifts, but the board hired a seventhofficer earlier this week.
When the city has enough manpower in the department, Simpson said, it will allow him to focus on "other areas."
"Right now, I need everybody on the street," he said.
During his first month on the job, Simpson said, he has been working on setting up standards for accountability and "being responsible to the people we're there for."
He said the property and evidence storage room has gotten an overhaul and is now "up to standards."
"That's what I'm trying to bring -- standards and accountability to everything we do," Simpson said.
In the coming months, he said, the department will focus on code enforcement.
"We're going to try to get properties cleaned up; and opening abandoned structures, we've got to do something about those," he said. "Those are dangerous properties where crimes can occur in them and injuries can occur in them."
Mayor Jane Dawkins said Simpson comes "highly recommended" and has "really good experience behind him."
"We're very proud to have him," she said.
Simpson said the department will focus on quality-of-life issues as well as crime.
"It won't be overnight," he said. "I've got to build this up so we can get moving in that direction. It's coming."
Ryan Lewis is based in Marion County. Contact him at ryanlewis34@gmail.com.