For new police chief — ‘this is home’

Grant Glover couldn’t be happier. The Holly Springs native is in his sixth month as the city’s new police chief.

“It was always a vision,” he said, “and for it to come true, I’m so happy. I’m elated to be back and elated to be leading this department.”

Glover was previously with the police department for 18 and half years before leaving to work for the Marshall County Sheriff’s Department for a year and a half.

Mayor Sharon Gipson, who took office in July, recommended Glover for the job as the city’s top cop, and he was approved by the board of aldermen.

He replaced Darryl Bowens, another Holly Springs native and longtime officer in the city, who had been appointed chief by the previous administration.

“When I came back to the city after Mayor Gipson was elected, it was important for me to keep some of the same people, especially Chief Bowens,” Glover said. “He’s so important to this police department and the city.”

Bowens returned to his previous position, as assistant chief, and Glover said, “We’ve been rolling ever since. He’s a good friend and an outstanding officer.”

After graduating from Rust, Glover worked in Texas in juvenile justice. He moved back to Holly Springs in 2000, coached at Rust briefly and kind of stepped into police work by accident.

“A co-worker asked me about it,” he said. “He said I’d be perfect, because I’m from here and everybody knows me.”

Glover’s first thought was, “I don’t want to be a police officer.” He ended up visiting the police department and picking up an application from captain Patricia Selman.

“She started asking me what size I wore ­ my arm length and all,” he said.

“She asked me, `When can you start?’ I went before the board, and I had already had my uniform. That’s how my career started.”

Based largely on his own experiences, he thinks its important to try to hire local people at the police station to be around the local citizens.

“We know each other; we shop at the same stores together and eat at the same restaurants; we go to the same churches, and our kids go to school together,” Glover said. “When we’re dealing with the people in our community, there’s less tention. They know us, and we know them. It works out best for everybody.

“This is small-town policing. Our officers need that passion. It’s important to hire local people before having to venture out.”

One of his goals when taking the chief’s position was to crack down on shootings in the city.

“We’ve got to get control of that,” Glover said. “We don’t want this in our city. People who are not from here are coming here to shoot. These are the people we are dealing with.

“I can tell you this. If you shoot in this city, we will get you, and you will have to face the stiffest of charges.”

Other concerns are four-wheelers and side-by-sides being driven illegally on city streets and also being driven way too fast.

“We will not pursue these people (at a high speed),” the chief said. “It’s really too dangerous in the city limits. We don’t want innocent people to get hurt or perhaps killed.”

But he does urge the citizens’ assistance in helping to arrest these law-breakers and others committing crimes in the city.

“We need your help in fighting crime,” Glover said. “Any information will be helpful and kept confidential.”

He also said automobiles speeding on certain city streets is an issue which his department is working on through more patrolling.

“Most of all, we want a safe city for our citizens,” he said. “That’s our priority.” Traffic safety checkpoints will also be planned in the future.

The Holly Springs Police Department was recently certified to be part of the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS). It is an incident-based reporting system used by law enforcement agencies in the United States for collecting and reporting data on crimes.

“We can share with any department in the nation — different incidents and different individuals,” Glover said. “We’ve been working on it for several years.”

He credited former chief Dwight Harris and former administrative assistant Heather Small, plus his administrative assistant, Vinita Raimey.

“A lot of people put a lot of time into it,” Glover said. “I thank everyone who played a role.” There are 19 officers on the police force. Five new recruits will be going to the Mississippi Law Enforcement Officers’ Training Academy in January.

He has also reinstituted morale-boosting programs in the department like Officer of the Month and birthday luncheons.

“I want to see our officers smiling and happy,” he said.

“Everybody here answers calls — even myself, the detectives and Assistant Chief Bowens. We want to be seen in your neighborhood. I am not a believer in sitting behind a desk. We are not a big department — where we can sit back and not get out there (on the streets).”

Chief Glover thanked Marshall County Sheriff Kenny Dickerson and Maj. David Cook for the opportunity to work at the sheriff’s department.

“I really learned a lot during my time there,” he said. “And I certainly want to continue my partnership with these guys. We’re in this together.”

Once again, he said being police chief in his hometown is a dream come true.

“I’m from here; I know everybody here; I can relate to the people here,” Glover said. “This is home.”