Chief Cohcran's Last Day on the Job

Mar 15th, 2006

POLICE CHIEF TO GIVE FAREWELL TO COMMUNITY

Mobile Police Chief Samuel M. Cochran, the longest serving chief of police in Mobile during modern times, will offer departing remarks at a retirement ceremony at 3 p.m. Thursday, March 9, at the Mobile Convention Center. Before the ceremony, Cochran attended his last City Council Meeting as Chief of Police on Tuesday, March 7. Cochran was honored for his hard work and dedication to the Mobile Police force.

Mayor Sam Jones, former Mayor Michael C. Dow, Alabama Attorney General Troy King and District Attorney John Tyson will be speakers at the community event.

Cochran, since taking the top job in 1996, is credited with changing the culture of the department. More people are more connected with the Mobile Police Department today than ever in its history. At the same time, the department moved into the technological age, deploying cutting-edge technologies to support criminal investigations.

In his decade as chief of police, Cochran oversaw the creation of scores of neighborhood policing groups and started up the Mobile Police Citizens Academy. He put significant resources behind youth programs such as the Police Explorers, the Family Intervention Team and the Underage Drinking Coordinator.

On the technological front, he revolutionized the way the department conducted business, computerizing historical and current data to track crimes and crime trends. He kept pace with developments in electronic surveillance and recording technology, giving the department critical tactical and strategic advantages.

Less lethal weaponry has been deployed under his leadership, greatly reducing injuries associated with physical altercations between police and suspects and offering an alternative to deadly force in volatile situations.

He presided over the building of the Third Precinct offices, the new firing range and a state-of-the-art fitness facility. He helped establish the nationally-recognized gun crimes program in Mobile called ICE, or Isolating the Criminal Element. He successfully negotiated a build-up of manpower from 428 to 522 sworn officers.

The results?

• Violent crime plunged 50 percent.

• Serious crime declined by 20 percent.

• Citizen complaints are down by 52 percent.

• The department receives national accreditation for meeting the highest standards of law enforcement.

Cochran has worked at the department for more than half his life. He started his career as a cadet and worked in almost all units of the agency before being named chief of police.

Contact: Nancy Johnson

Community Relations Office

Phone: 208-1926

Fax: 208-1928