Fred Fletcher, Mayor Andy Berke’s choice for Chattanooga’s new police chief, speaks to officers before a news conference Thursday at the Police Services Center. Fletcher is a commander with the Austin, Texas, police department.Two days after flying to Chattanooga to accept the position of police chief, Fred Fletcher lined up with hundreds of other runners in Saturday’s Scenic City Trail Marathon.
Fletcher — a commander in the Austin (Texas) Police Department and avid runner and cyclist — knows that gaining the public’s trust starts with being available and demonstrating the simple message that you care about your community.
“I consider that a part of the obligation of a leader,” Fletcher said. “I will be an active and visible member of the community, not just as a police officer but as a resident.”
In Austin, those who worked with Fletcher said what makes the 20-year veteran effective is his ability to inspire others to lead and to disarm the community by seeking their help to address the city’s worst crime.
He went door to door to explain a new policing style and solicited advice from community leaders as well as rookie cops. He taught civil rights and safety classes to immigrant Iraqis, Cubans and Asians, making sure he learned at least one word in their native languages to make them feel more comfortable. Programs he pioneered were adopted across Austin; some even went statewide.