Centralia City Manager W. Kory Smith has announced the conditional appointment has been offered to Christopher Locke to serve as Centralia’s Police Chief. He is currently the Police Chief of Fairview Heights in the Metro East.
Chief Locke will be sworn in at a later date following city council approval of the appointment which will be on the Monday agenda. His effective start date is September 12th.
Locke has served on the Fairview Heights Police Department for over 28 years with 16 years as a member of the Command Staff and the last four as Chief of Police. His experience includes the role as Deputy Commander of the Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis and is also the Emergency Services and Disaster Agency Coordinator for the City of Fairview Heights.
Earlier in his career, Locke served as a Special Agent with the US Air Force Office of Special Investigations. His education includes a Bachelor’s Degree with an emphasis in Criminal Justice and Sociology. He was also a graduate of Southern Police Institute Administrative Officer’s and Chief Executive Leadership courses.
Smith says Locke has many years of experience with multi-million dollar budgets, negotiating contracts, human resources, and has implemented recruitment programs for his department. He also has executed and has been successful with community-oriented policing initiatives and is committed to strong police/community relations. Locke is a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police, Southern Illinois Police Chiefs Association, and the American Legion.
Smith says Locke brings a lot of integrity and experience to an already great department. Smith adds finding the best possible leader was of the utmost importance for Centralia’s future. Smith says he is not only highly qualified but brings certain intangibles to lead the Centralia Police Department well into the future.
