Connally retiring from job as police chief
Sep. 8—St. Joseph Police Chief Chris Connally will retire at the end of September.
Connally was sworn in as St Joseph's chief of police in January 2006. After being honorably discharged from the United States Navy, he began his police career in 1984 with the Norfolk Port and Industrial Authority Police. In 1986, he went to work for the city of Portsmouth, retiring as assistant chief from the Portsmouth Police Department in Portsmouth, Virginia, in December 2005.
He said a 38-year career is long for law enforcement and that it's time to "move forward."
"I'm proud of the community that's worked with us that's gotten us to this point, working with us to solve some of these problems, to help us improve on those recruitment efforts," Connally said. "I see things going in a great direction."
During his time in Portsmouth, Virginia, and now St. Joseph, he said he has seen law enforcement change drastically, from laws and technology to, more recently, the public's perception of police officers.
"A lot of things kind of come back around," Connally said. "We're facing some more significant challenges here, largely because of the nationwide rhetoric. While we have a very supportive community here, that impacts things like recruitment, people's desire."
The retirement announcement comes as the department has 18 vacancies and struggles to recruit and retain officers.
"It played a role in me waiting longer before I retired, working with our folks to try to continue to work through some of the challenges," Connally said. "The last couple of years, we've been operating in a crisis mode, both from COVID staffing issues, crime issues. My biggest thing is I'm just very proud of all the folks I work with."
Despite the department's struggles, Connally said he is thankful for the community support.
"You can see by what's going on around the country that we have a lot more support than a lot of our colleagues do elsewhere," he said.
During his tenure as chief, Connally even stepped into the role of interim city manager twice, which wasn't his "cup of tea" but gave him a "global look" at the city and its long-term success.
"When I'm in a position where I need to step up to the plate, I'm always going to say yes because that's what I expect of the folks in the department, and they can expect the same thing out of me," Connally said.
October will be a major turning point for the St. Joseph Police Department. As Connally works on projects at his house that he has been putting off, Commander Dave Hart will serve as interim chief. He joined the St. Joseph Police Department in 1999 and spent five years working patrol. Hart then transferred to investigations where he worked crimes against children and computer crimes. He was promoted to sergeant in 2010, captain in 2013 and his current position as commander in 2019.
"He's spent the last several years as commander of the patrol division, which is the backbone of the department, so I think it'll be a smooth transition for him," Connally said.
Oct. 1 is also when the department will increase its starting salary for officers.
"Having been in this position for a long time, really, the successes are in the people and the relationships between the department and the community," Connally said. That's the real success of our police."
Quinn Ritzdorf can be reached at quinn.ritzdorf@newspressnow.com
