Rawlings new Fremont police chief
By Lee Williams
Published in News on February 22, 2007 1:45 PM
The Fremont Police Department has a new chief.
The Town of Aldermen unanimously voted Tuesday night to name Ron Rawlings, a retired highway patrol first sergeant, to the post.
Rawlings, 54, of Goldsboro, is expected to take the helm in as little as two weeks. Rawlings will receive a starting salary of $40,000, Fremont Town Administrator Kerry McDuffie said.
Rawlings brings a wealth of accomplishments and achievements to the position. He holds a bachelor's degree from Mount Olive College and a master's degree from Central Michigan University.
He also has more than 32 years of law enforcement experience under his belt and now works for the Wayne County Sheriff's Office as a school resource office at Eastern Wayne High School.
Rawlings described himself as a "motivator, communicator and hard worker" and said he looked forward to the job.
Wayne County Sheriff Carey Winders said Rawlings is well respected.
"We will sorely miss him working at Eastern Wayne High School," Winders said. "He was a very good school resource officer. He will be hard to replace because he was so well liked at the school and on the job. I do wish him well in his endeavors and we will assist him in some major cases."
More than 14 people, including at least two current police officers applied for the job.
Mayor Devone Jones said he did not think this would create tension between Rawlings and officers who did not get the job.
"It shouldn't be a problem," Jones said. "We've got a problem with drugs and gangs trying to form and we wanted to have the best person for the job."
Jones commended the other officers at the department and said he believed the board has found a "good fit."
The board began their search for a new police chief in December when former Chief Wayne Schwark took a job with the Department of Health and Human Services in Wilson.