Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/616164
DECEMBER 16-22, 2015 UCW 17 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM If asked, "What do you want to do when you grow up?" how many 12-year-olds would have any idea what the future holds? Harold Medlock knew. Fayetteville's police chief sat down with Up & Coming Weekly and told us that at age 12 he witnessed a crime that has been indelibly etched in his being ever since. Medlock was leaving a prayer meeting in Dallas, North Carolina, where his father was pastor of a Baptist church. He saw the town police chief trying to pull a man off a woman he was beating. The man turned on the officer. The woman came to his aid, and in moments, other officers arrived on the scene and young Harold knew right then he wanted to be a cop. "It was a life-changing experience," Medlock said. He grew up in Gastonia and was a 1975 graduate of Ashbrook High School. He attended Gaston Community College but quit after a year to go to work. Then at age 22, young Harold applied for a job with the Charlotte Police Department. His first three years were spent in the worst areas of Charlotte. He worked in a rough part of the city where the Fairview Homes public housing project is located, and in 1982 decided to leave the department. For the next ten years, Medlock sold real estate and managed businesses. He credits his wife Gloria for getting him back on track, telling him that if he didn't get back into law enforcement "you're going to die a bitter old man." True to himself, Medlock re-applied with the CPD and went through the training academy a second time. He realized that he'd been "running away from a calling for a lot of years." Since then, the chief has seen more tragedy than most of us can imagine. He's lost 11 fellow lawmen to violent deaths. Nine of them were murdered, one died in a plane crash and another was killed when a concussion grenade went off prematurely during a raid. He vividly recalls homicide cases he investigated back in the day, including the deaths of a 12-year-old boy as well as two brothers who were killed together. Medlock cited three police chiefs he worked for who developed his professional life. He described Charlotte's most recent former chief, Rodney Monroe, as his mentor and "a cop's cop." Monroe directed that his commanders respond to all homicides in the city. Medlock was head of the homicide unit at the time. He brought that practice to Fayetteville and expects that his commanders be present with him at the scenes of all death investigations. He calls it engaging with the community. "The families need to know the FPD is giving them their very best," he added. In 2007, Medlock was promoted to deputy chief, one of five in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department. He and Monroe worked together for six years, and in 2012 he was put in charge of security when the Democratic National Convention was held in the Queen City. Medlock believes Monroe was preparing him to be a police chief one day. His intention thereafter was to apply for a job out of state, and he sought assistance from professional law enforcement head hunters. He applied for and was considered for top posts in five cities. In September 2012, he was advised to consider the recently available top post in Fayetteville. He was familiar with our area having served on the board of Methodist University's Masters of Justice program. He reluctantly applied for the job and came to town to look around a couple of times, and then "put it in God's hands." Medlock says that on New Year's Eve 2012, he got a phone call from Fayetteville City Manager Ted Voorhees and was offered the job. He accepted and went to work on Feb. 18 of 2013. He says he came to Fayetteville with an open mind and a clean slate. The chief regards policing as a "people business." He says he tries to emulate the three Charlotte police chiefs he worked with. He meets with all of the more than 400 men and women of the department four times a year. Medlock, who is 58, earned an Associate Degree at Central Carolina Community College. His received his undergraduate degree and MBA at Pfeiffer College. He also graduated from the FBI National Academy. His goal is to prepare the chief 's office for his successor. He says "I'm trying to set the department up for a long time after I'm gone." Meet Fayetteville's Police Chief: Harold Medlock by JEFF THOMPSON Fayetteville Police Chief Harold Medlock FOR WEDNESDAY DISTRIBUTION ROUTE CONTACT DISTRIBUTION MANAGER Laurel Handforth @ (910) 484-6200 or Email laurel@upandcomingweekly.com for further information. MUST HAVE VEHICLE, VALID DRIVER'S LICENSE AND INSURANCE JEFF THOMPSON, Senior News Reporter. COMMENTS? news@upandcomingweekly. com. 910.484.6200.