January 06, 2022
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After nearly 30 years in law enforcement, Rome police Chief Kevin Beach will retire - Yahoo News

After 14 years as police chief and nearly 30 years in law enforcement, Rome police Chief Kevin Beach will be retiring at the end of the month.

"I'm looking to move on to the next chapter of my life," said Beach, who is 50.

Beach first started in 1993 as a corrections officer at the Oneida County Jail. He planned to retire after 25 years of working in law enforcement. But around that time, the COVID-19 pandemic began and the death of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer launched a new call for police reform. The Rome police department also faced staff shortages.

Rome Police Chief Kevin C. Beach, right, walks with another officer as they approach the scene where two people were shot May 27, 2010, inside an AT&T store on Commercial Drive in New York Mills, New York.
Rome Police Chief Kevin C. Beach, right, walks with another officer as they approach the scene where two people were shot May 27, 2010, inside an AT&T store on Commercial Drive in New York Mills, New York.

"You'd see all the police chiefs who were retiring or resigning across the country. I didn't want to be another face on the ticker tape," Beach said. "I wanted to see it through."

Now, with nine police recruits bringing the department to full staff, and initiatives from the city's state-mandated police reform plan underway, such as implementing body-worn cameras and reintroducing the city's Community Advisory Committee, Beach said it's time for someone new to step in.

In a statement, Rome Mayor Jacqueline Izzo congratulated Beach on a job well done.

"Chief Kevin Beach has led the Rome Police Department with distinction over the last six years in our effort to maintain the City of Rome as a very welcoming, safe community," Izzo said.

"Chief Beach has been involved in many community organizations, but was exceptional last year leading the city's police reform efforts as mandated by then Governor Cuomo. Over the last decade, he has been instrumental in upgrading the police department's infrastructure in the areas of accreditation, patrol, training, electronic records keeping and the command structure. Chief Beach has been well known throughout his career for his community participation and will be greatly missed, but we congratulate him on a job well done and wish him well in his retirement."



source: https://news.yahoo.com/nearly-30-years-law-enforcement-100038561.html

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