JULY 16, 2009 ISSUE
Bill Post Retires As Chief of Boone Police Department On July 31
After more than a decade on the job, Boone Police Chief Bill Post will retire at the end of this month. According to Post, the town has received more than 120 applications for the job.
After more than 30 years in uniform and more than a decade as the town’s highest ranking officer, Boone Police Chief Bill Post will retire from public service on Friday, July 31.
Well liked throughout the community, the Bristol native and Florida State University graduate has served Boone with distinction since taking over the Boone Police Department in November 1998. Post came to Boone after spending more than 20 years in the Hickory Police Department, where he reached the rank of captain.
“Since I was in high school and college, I had a goal to be a chief of police in a small town,” said Post. “When the job came open in Boone, I was fortunate enough to get the position.”
The next chief will be fortunate as well, according to Post. The town has already received more than 120 applications from qualified individuals all over the U.S. Post said he expects a new chief to be named by early September. Captain Curtis Main will serve as interim chief until the position is filled.
“It’s almost like a marriage. You really just look for that good match,” said Post. “The town people have accepted me very well. It’s been a real positive experience for me and just a real great place to be the chief of police.”
While other towns have fashioned fancy slogans or ancillary programs that divert attention away from police departments’ primary responsibilities, Post has sought during his tenure to stay focused on the job at hand.
“I’ve always thought that our core mission is preventing crime,” said Post.
According to Post, one of the biggest problems facing the town’s law enforcement when he took over were hard-partying ASU students. The chief and the department have worked hard during the last decade to develop a rapport with the ASU Police Department to more effectively deal with rowdy students. In recent months, Post and the department have dedicated much manpower to curbing the ongoing vandalism problem.
And while only two murders occurred in the town during his tenure, Post said he has always felt a degree of accountability with every crime that occurred on his watch.
“I felt a personal responsibility when crimes were committed. I’m not going to miss that,” Post said.
One lasting change that will be visible well after Post’s retirement is the black and white paint jobs on the department’s cruisers. For years, Boone Police cruisers were an indistinguishable shade of dark blue. Post put together a committee to discuss the branding issue and officers eventually voted to go with black and white cars. Post said that he still hears from people who appreciate the change.
Although a number of veteran Boone Police Department officers have retired during the last year and others plan to retire following Post’s departure, the chief is confident that the department will have no trouble carrying on during the transitional period.
“We’ve got a great bunch of folks here,” Post said. “I’m just real confident that the police department is going to do great things. They want to help and they’re here for the right reasons.”
With retirement a little more than two weeks away, Post has been busy answering the most inevitable of retirement-related questions: what are you going to do now?
“I’m looking forward to reading and we have a big garden this year,” said Post. “It’s not going to be just any one thing.”
While tending to he and his wife Jaehee’s crops and spending some quality time with his nose in some books, Post will continue teaching courses for Kaplan University, an online-based distance learning institution. Beginning this fall, the soon to be former chief will also head to the front of the classroom to teach a pair of courses at ASU.
Post said that he and his wife will also take advantage of his new found freedom to travel and spend time with family.
Without hesitation, Post said that he will miss the daily interactions with his fellow officers, local residents and business people, all of whom he felt connected to during his time as chief.
“I’ve been 30 years on the job and there’s not one day I didn’t want to go to work,” said Post. “I just feel blessed.”
Post will be honored at a retirement function at the Broyhill Inn & Conference Center on Wednesday, July 29, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. The public is invited to attend.
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