Campbell embracing role of interim police chief
Interim Clinton Police Department Chief James Campbell talks to city of Mayor Scott Burton after a meeting. (photo:Ben Pounds )
“I’m happy for the opportunity, the challenge,” he said. “It’s something that I’m ready to face and do a good job.”
His predecessor, Chief S. Vaughn Becker, retired on Nov. 15.
“I love this town,” Campbell said, adding he’d been working inClinton since 2003 and in Anderson County since 1996.
“This is a place that I feel at home at,” he said. “This is a place that I feel that I’m engrained in, so every day that I come in to work, it’s me providing service to the people of this city.
“You know that’s the biggest reward. Every day that I get in my seat to come in, I’m in a good place where I’m going, getting ready to face each day, and then going home, those little rewards that I face each day.
“There’s challenges; nothing is easy; nothing worthwhile is easy,” he said.
“My thing that I press upon myself is ultimate accountability, making sure that service is provided,” he said.
He said the biggest challenge has been staffing, making sure enough people are on the different shifts.
But he said the department has still functioned.
“Our officers are diligent,” he said. “They’re very good about stepping up and helping us in a time of need.”
He said the need for them to work long hours takes away from their time with their families, and he hoped that changes. He said he wants to attract and recruit more people to the CPD.
He said he’d started in a larger municipal department and worked in a county department, but wanted to return to his home area.
“This environment is a little bit unique because I’m most likely going to see people every day that I know closely and those that are in need of our services,” he said. “I know a lot of people that I can rely upon for just input and feedback that can help me address problems.
“I’m not going to knock the previous chief. I worked close with him, and do believe everything that he did was in absolute good faith,” he said regarding Becker.
However, he said he would look into possibly making changes to better meet the needs of his employees and make sure they work efficiently.
“I want them to go out the door and start their patrol shifts in a good frame of mind and willing to do as much as they can, all that they can,” he said.
