Bowens new hometown chief

Darryl Bowens has been named chief of police in the City of Holly Springs by the board of aldermen.

He rose up through the ranks in his hometown police department after serving four years stateside in the United States Army.

A graduate of Holly Springs High School, Bowens studied criminal justice, earning an associates degree from Southwest Tennessee Community College. He began working as a part-time patrolman while in college and later was hired fulltime under chief Ed Totten at the Holly Springs Police Department in 1996, where he has built his entire career in law enforcement. He has served under nine chiefs of police.

He worked the night shift 19 years, eventually taking over as shift supervisor in preparation for promotion to sergeant. He served four and a half years as sergeant prior to promotion to captain under chief William Hollowell.

The last two years he served as assistant chief and then interim chief for about six months after chief Dwight Harris left to work with the Olive Branch Police Department.

He will be a hands-on police chief.

“I like to get out there with our officers for communication purposes to let them know I care,” Bowens said. “It always meant a lot to me as a young officer for the chief to be out in the community with me.”

Retention is probably the biggest problem in all smalltown police departments.

“I don’t want our department to be known as a training ground,” he said. “I will try to get better equipment and pay for officers and keep their morale up so they will stay.”

Hiring hometown people he thinks will help in retention and in building trust with the community, he said. People feel more comfortable talking to an officer they have known.

“It goes a long way to help us in investigating crime,” Bowens said. “We are more likely to get a tip-off when they know something.”

Training is always of utmost importance and since the COVID-19 pandemic, the state is offering virtual police academy, between 300 to 400 classes online. Officers have to earn 24 hours a year of continuing education.

Bowens said he is honored by Mayor Kelvin Buck and the board of aldermen for his promotion to the top spot.

“The chief always comes with great responsibility and I thank them for having faith in me,” he said. “I’m dedicated to this department and to the citizens of Holly Springs. I will do everything in my power to make sure we have a safe community.

“With so much happening in the country, people are not wanting to trust the police. We will continue to bridge that gap because the community’s trust takes us a long way and helps us do our job better.”

A few things Bowens has put priority on include restructuring the personnel to put people where they are able to live up to their potential. And he will ask the next mayor and board for better equipment, including retiring some old patrol cars. And training will be top priority as well.

Bowens said the department needs two investigators and a chief of detectives.

He said Sky Cops have been a useful tool in deterring and solving crimes. He wants to put one in the business district on Highway 7 South.

Since COVID struck in 2020, Bowens said there has been an uptick in domestic violence incidents – the most dangerous type of calls officers have to go on.

He said he pays attention to the national crime picture.

“I try to instill in my officers to do the right thing and treat people the way you want to be treated,” he said.

“My pledge to this community is that we will continue to have a safe and secure place to work and live.

“Being chief of a police department is a great responsibility and it is also a great opportunity to demonstrate all that I have learned over the years.”

Bowens is the son of the late Arthur and Naomie Bowens, parents of three boys. He is the middle son.

He is father to Cordarryl Bowens, 29, Devonte Bowens, 27, Latandra Watson, 29, and Desmond Washington, 26. Bowens is 54 years of age.