Monday, September 27, 2004

Julian Tabor, chief of the Scottsville Police Department for more than 18 years, will retire effective Thursday.

I do have 30 years experience in law enforcement and Ive got some health problems, he said. Nothing major, but just some health problems.

In 1974, Tabor became the first Allen County police officer, a position that no longer exists. He became a deputy sheriff with the Allen County Sheriffs Office four years later, working in that capacity until 1981, when he unsuccessfully campaigned to be Allen County sheriff.

He joined the Scottsville Police Department in 1982 and became chief in July 1986.

Tabor said some changes were made during his time as chief. He was responsible for putting a DARE officer in White Plains Elementary School and two school resource officers in Allen County-Scottsville High School and Bazzell Middle School.

The school resource officer was removed from the middle school this year, however, due to a lack of funding.

Another change implemented during Tabors tenure was the home fleet concept, which allows officers to take cruisers home. The new setup is a great improvement over the old system, where four police cars were traded among the officers, Tabor said.

Now we have the same type of equipment in each car and everybodys responsible for keeping up their cars oil changes and car washes, he said, adding that sending officers home with their own police car has also improved response time. Everybodys on call 24 hours a day and there were some situations where I had to call in for some back-up on certain situations. They could respond a whole lot quicker.

Tabors retirement plans include relaxing and spending more time with his wife, Rita, and three grown children. He thanked Scottsville City Council members for their support over the past 30 years, and he also thanked the 14 officers on the Scottsville police force.

We have a good bunch of officers, he said. Well-trained and well-qualified for anything.

Scottsville Mayor Rob Cline said applications and interviews for the police chief job will be available after the city council meeting Oct. 11. Applications will be available at the City-County Building on West Main Street in Scottsville.

I appointed as interim chief Mr. Scotty ONeal and he will fill in until a new chief is hired, Cline said.

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