Interim no more: City Manager names Lenny Gunther as Savannah Police Chief
City Manager Jay Melder announced today that Lenny Gunther will serve as Savannah's next police chief. Gunther, a 22-year veteran of the department, has served as interim chief since early July, when Roy Minter resigned to focus on his nomination to the U.S. Marshals Service.
The announcement comes following what Melder called "a robust national search and comprehensive evaluation process," which included a public survey, focus groups, a practical knowledge evaluation and extensive panel interviews, according to the city's press release.
“One candidate stood out as the right chief at the right time for Savannah," stated Melder in the press release. "Chief Gunther has already made meaningful adjustments at the Savannah Police Department that have increased morale, improved recruitment and retention, and most importantly advanced our ability to fight and prevent crime. Chief Gunther has also earned the trust of our community, which is critical to the success of any police chief. He embodies what it means to be a servant leader and brings a commonsense approach that couples well with his visionary embrace of the latest in technology and alternative intervention measures. I am proud to name him Savannah’s permanent Police Chief.”
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Gunther worked his way up the ladder
Gunther joined SPD in January 2001, five years after moving to Savannah. He grew up in New York's Bronx borough and attended college at Oswego University in New York. He graduated with a Master of Arts in Business and Organizational Security Management from Webster University and is a graduate of the FBI National Academy. From 1996 to 2004, Gunther served in the U.S. Army Reserves with the 429th medical battalion. For nearly three years prior to joining SPD, Gunther worked as a corrections officer with the Coastal State Prison. During his time at SPD, Gunther has served in multiple roles and divisions, including as the captain overseeing the Southside Precinct and the major in charge of the Criminal Investigations Division.
Gunther was promoted to assistant chief on July 25, 2019. In that role, he oversaw the department’s field operations bureau. As interim chief, Gunther has overseen numerous intelligence-led operations in conjunction with other police and federal agencies, most of which have targeted “prolific offenders.”
“Being selected as the City of Savannah’s police chief is the culmination of years of work in this community, and I am extremely proud to lead the public servants of this department and serve the residents of Savannah as their police chief,” said Gunther in a statement released by the city. “I have worked my way from the bottom of this department to the top job, and I could not have done so without an amazing team of leaders along the way who chose to invest in me. Moving forward, the officers of our department should know that it is my job to develop the next generation of leaders and instill in them a passion for serving all Savannahians.”
A public swearing-in ceremony will be held in January.
Drew Favakeh is the public safety reporter for Savannah Morning News. You can reach him at AFavakeh@savannahnow.com.
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Veteran Savannah officer Lenny Gunther named city's next police chief
