Former Evansville Police Chief Billy Bolin will be a police chief once more — now in the city of Henderson, Kentucky.
His hiring was voted upon at the Tuesday City Commission meeting. Technically hired as a “consultant,” Bolin will have 90 days to pass a set of tests, both physical and procedural to be a police chief in the commonwealth.
He said his first task is getting reacquainted with the department and the community.
“Just getting to know the officers and hearing their their concerns and then seeing if there is things we need to change, or if it needs to be status quo. Just kind of just figuring it out, getting to know the officers letting them get to know me, and then the community at large to just getting to know everybody over here because it's been a while.”
Bolin actually began his police career in Henderson in 1995, moving to Evansville in 1998.
He was replaced in Evansville this winter by then Assistant Chief Philip Smith as one of new Mayor Stephanie Terry’s appointments.
Bolin said he knew from the start that Terry was interested in promoting Smith.
“So it wasn't like I was terminated or fired or anything,” he said. “They would have kept me in the department, but I wanted to retire as chief. And I am Phil's biggest fan. And I think he's gonna be awesome. He actually came over here to support me today. So it meant a lot that he did that.”
There were several EPD officers at the meeting to support Bolin.
After the vote, he stood before the city commission to receive his welcome, starting with Mayor Brad Staton.
“I want to start by saying that your reputation precedes you into the room,” Staton said, adding that the commission had received multiple notes of support from community members. “I'm excited to have been a part of this decision.”
Bolin said there are several programs he implemented in Evansville that are already in use in Henderson, such as Coffee with a Cop, the 911 Gives Hope toy drive, and Guns ‘N Hoses fundraiser.
Bolin currently lives in Evansville, but plans to relocate to Henderson.
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