Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, September 12, 1995 TAG: 9509120071
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: S.D. HARRINGTON STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
"If you want words to live by ... " he said and pointed to a plaque behind his desk that displays a motto he adopted in the Marine Corps: "DO SOMETHING - Either lead, follow or get out of the way."
Bryant will use this philosophy when he becomes police chief Nov. 1, when Harry Haskins retires.
City Manager Randy Smith told City Council on Monday that he will appoint Bryant the new police chief. He also said he will appoint Lt. Jeff Dudley to fill Bryant's position as deputy chief.
"The city will be well served by Bryant at the head and [Dudley] as his assistant," Haskins said earlier Monday, anticipating the appointments. "I look forward to watching the progress in this department."
Bryant's "do something" philosophy probably can be best demonstrated by his career, in which he has served both his city and his country. October will mark his 29th year with the Salem Police Department. He was in the Marines for four years and the Marine Reserves for about 23 years.
When Bryant takes over in November, he hopes he will "lead by example" the 58 police officers under him.
"I see myself as a facilitator," he said. "The military taught me not to be a micromanager."
But Bryant said that doesn't mean he will be less involved. "You always have to know what's going on," he said.
In the two years Bryant has served as deputy chief, he also has been training for the chief position.
When Bryant was appointed deputy chief, Haskins told him he would be retiring soon. Although he wouldn't make the final decision on who would replace him, Haskins wanted to be sure someone was ready to take his place.
"I felt that with proper timing, he would probably be our next chief," Haskins said. "I wanted him to be ready to assume the responsibilities - and he is."
Haskins said he has always felt the best way to learn a job was to do it. So he let Bryant do that.
"[Haskins] has allowed me in the last two years to run the department as I see fit, along with his expertise and guidance," Bryant said.
With that experience, he said, a lot of changes that he otherwise would have made as a new chief have already been implemented.
"It's given me an advantage that in no way could I measure," he said.
Bryant said one thing he will push for as the new chief is to be fair. "My philosophy, more than anything else, is for our police officers to treat the public as professional as possible. Our No.1 job is to keep the public safe."
Dudley, who will move into Bryant's position, heads the department's services division - which includes, among other things, the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program, animal control and the traffic division.
Dudley joined the Police Department in 1977 as a dispatcher and has been the lieutenant over services for about two years.
The two men worked together in the services division in the late 1980s, when Bryant was lieutenant and Dudley was sergeant of services.
Bryant will promote someone to fill Dudley's position in November.
"They have worked very closely together," Haskins said. "I am very pleased that Randy Smith saw to appoint both of these persons."
JAMES R. BRYANT
Police experience
Salem Police Dept, 1966 to present.
Promoted to Deputy Chief (Captain) in September 1993.
Military experience
U.S. Marine Corps,1962-1966.
Marine Corps Reserves, 1976 -1995.
Gulf War veteran.
Promoted to Sgt. Major in 1993, the top enlisted rank in the Marine Corps.
by CNB