‘Only place I would leave Bluffton for.’ Police chief prepares to return to Arkansas
After less than two years, Bluffton Police Chief Christopher Chapmond will pack up his office and turn in his badge Friday to begin the trek back to Arkansas, leaving the local department to find a new leader.
The move comes less than a month after Chapmond was hired to lead his former department in Hot Springs, Arkansas, starting on July 1 after an “extensive national search.”
He says he’ll miss the place that accepted him so quickly, but an opportunity like this one doesn’t come around very often.
“I love Bluffton ... but (Hot Springs) gave a lot to me over the course of my life, and I am very proud of that,” Chapmond said Thursday. “So this was unexpected, but at this point, it’s the only place I would leave Bluffton for.”
He said his intent was to stay in Bluffton for at least three to five years to give the department the stability it needed and to implement the goals he set for his career. But the chance to return to the department where it all started came up much sooner than he expected.
Chapmond was born and raised in Hot Springs and spent 22 years working for its police department, rising through the ranks to assistant chief before moving to Bluffton.
Looking back on his time in the area, he says most of the things he is proudest of revolve around the phrase the department uses: “Committed to community.”
He says the department has “taken that even further than it was before” and embraced community policing to the point that it has “helped us as an agency.”
Under his leadership, he says officers are not only participating in special events on a regular basis and improving relationships with surrounding law enforcement agencies. They are also taking steps toward community policing by getting to know the citizens, whether it’s rolling down their window to say, “Hello” or getting out of their cars to interact with the people they serve.
He says they’ve also worked to improve within the department, such as combing through the department’s policies and procedures to make sure they’re “best practice,” revamping the hiring process for new officers, and holding staff accountable to high expectations.
“Our No. 1 goal is trust and legitimacy in the community because if you can’t have that, you can’t police,” he said. “We work on building that trust and legitimacy every day.”
He said although he understands Bluffton’s next chief will come in and “put his own stamp” on the department, some of the progress and changes made during his tenure will likely continue because they are the foundation of a successful department.
“I think we have a good blueprint moving forward,” he said. “I think police departments can’t tread water, and I think you have to constantly be evaluating what your community needs and working toward serving the community as best you can.”
Chapmond said he’s happy that he moved to Bluffton, but is looking forward to going home, where his support system and family is.
“I felt that I was put here because there was a purpose for me to be here, and I think we accomplished a lot,” he said. “We’ve done a lot of really good things.”
The Town of Bluffton has already posted the chief position to begin its national search. Town Manager Marc Orlando has said this year’s hiring process will closely mirror the one conducted in 2018, which included multiple interview sessions with different people from town.
Capt. Scott Chandler has been named interim chief. He will serve until a new person is hired to fill the position.
Chandler held the same role for the months between the departure of former Chief Joseph Manning and the hiring of Chapmond in 2018.
