Although the police chief holds two advanced degrees in city planning and public administration, he strongly believes in the use of old-fashioned policing methods to reduce and prevent crime. He came to Charleston in 1982 after working in several other police departments. His first order of business was to restore a genuine sense of professionalism and pride in the police department. When he first took over the city's 750-person police force, he observed low morale and police officers with little regard for their appearance. His first priority was to completely reform the police department from top to bottom. He instituted a rigid dress code that required all police detectives to wear jackets and ties. Beards were prohibited, and using strong arm tactics or cursing during an arrest resulted in an automatic suspension. Besides markedly improving the esprit de corps among Charleston's police officers, the police chief gained the widespread support and respect of the city's black community by tracking down violent young criminals who were terrorizing their neighborhoods. The police chief uses both traditional and innovative approaches to crime prevention, and he is especially proud of his truancy and gun control initiatives targeting young people. A brief biographical sketch of the police chief is provided. 2 photographs