Fultondale Police Chief D.P. Smith announced Tuesday he will retire after 35 years in law enforcement.
Smith was appointed chief in October 2015. Under his tenure, the department beefed up its use of technology which has helped not only to solve crime, but to prevent crime, departmental officials said.
He also led the department’s efforts to team up with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency by assigning an officer to the ALEA task that targets high-level drug organizations.
“Chief Smith is a man of great character and will be greatly missed by us,’’ according to a department statement on Facebook. “He is personally responsible for many great officers coming to our department. We hope he enjoys his well-deserved retirement.”
Smith’s law enforcement career began with the Birmingham Police Department in January 1986. He served as an officer at West Precinct and also was on the Gang Task Force. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, he helped solve several high-profile cases in Birmingham as part of his work with the task force and began teaching classes on gangs at UAB and the Birmingham Police Academy.
He rose to the rank of sergeant after working as a detective in various crime bureaus and then retired from BPD in July 2006.
After his retirement, Smith joined the Fultondale force. He was later promoted to sergeant and was placed over the Detective Division until ultimately being named chief.
Smith’s retirement will become effective Nov. 4. A replacement has not yet been publicly announced.