Local with Lisa: Piedmont Police Chief Retires

After over a decade of service in Piedmont, Police Chief Jeremy Bowers is retiring.  As he prepares for his retirement, we spoke about his journey and what's next both for him and the department.

Lisa: Police Chief Jeremy Bowers, it is always nice to chat with you.

Chief Bowers: It's good to see you too, Lisa.

Lisa: So, what inspired you to get into law enforcement and what eventually led you here to Piedmont?

Chief Bowers: Really, it was about doing something impactful with my career, and really it was about wanting to serve people. Admittedly, it was a little bit of the action that is sometimes associated with law enforcement, that is what attracted me as well. Very quickly, I figured out that that's a very small part of policing, and really it's about the service you provide to a community.

For me, coming to Piedmont was an opportunity to have an outstanding work-life balance and a healthy working environment where I could still obtain the professional goals that I had, but do it in a community where it's quick to make change.

Lisa: So what are you most proud of during your time here as the police chief?

Chief Bowers: Being able to create things like our automated license plate reader program and our public safety camera program, and having staff and hiring staff that want to be proactive in preventing crime and responding effectively when it happens. That's all part of creating a safe community. The level of community engagement that we do in this city now, as far as the police department in the community, really is unprecedented.

Lisa: What does retirement look like for you? And are you excited?

Chief Bowers: I am excited, it is bittersweet, though. You know, I love what I do here in this community. A lot of people know it's not just a job for me, it's not just a career for me, but it's personal. You know, I raised my kids partly in this city. When I retire, I'll have one child that's still in high school.

So, I am excited. Retirement for me looks like, number one, a break. Initially. I've been doing this for almost 30 years in policing. My wife, who's also in law enforcement, is going to be retiring a few months after me. So we really want to take this opportunity as a partnership to assess where we're at, take a break, and then we'll see what's next for us.

Lisa: I know Piedmont is going to miss you. Do you know who's going to take over for you?

Chief Bowers: They went through interviews, and an individual has been identified. The city is still going through that vetting process. So that person has not been named… yet.

Lisa: Is there anything you'd like to say directly to the residents of Piedmont?

Chief Bowers: You know, there's a lot that I'd like to say to the residents of Piedmont. When I think about my law enforcement career, my policing career, it's funny to say this, but I feel like it's given me more than I've given it. I'm so grateful for the time I've had here in Piedmont because it truly taught me what real police community partnership is all about. It's something that I will be forever grateful for. I know the future is bright for Piedmont.

Piedmont will forever be in my heart, in my family's heart. Because, you know, we spent so much time in this community and have given so much to this community, but it's been a community that's also given so much to us. So I just want to say thank you to the Piedmont community, and I'll see you around.

Lisa: All right. Piedmont Police Chief Jeremy Bowers, thank you for your service. And thank you for your time.

Chief Bowers: All right. Thank you, Lisa. Good seeing you again. 

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