Newly appointed Carbondale Police Chief Bob Ledbetter has always had a plan.

Ledbetter was named police chief last week after serving as the interim chief for almost seven months. He has been with the department for nearly 30 years and has worked almost every job from patrol officer to deputy chief during that span.

“Everything I have done in my career has certainly prepared me for taking this job,” he said.

Ledbetter said he originally wanted to be a teacher and graduated from SIUC in 1973 with a bachelor’s degree in education. He said many family members were teachers, so it felt natural for him.

After graduation, he found teaching jobs difficult to attain and became a radio broadcaster in Marion, and that is where he made his first professional contacts with law enforcement. He reported police stories on the radio and became a member of the Marion Auxiliary Police, for which he received basic training in police tactics and firearms use.

“I developed an interest from that [radio], got on the auxiliary department and saw law enforcement from the inside,” Ledbetter said. “I decided that if I got an opportunity, I would like to pursue a career in law enforcement.”

He started with the Carbondale Police Department as a patrol officer in 1977 and has spent the last three decades moving from job to job learning the nuances of every nook and cranny of the department.

Deputy Chief Calvin Stearns, who has worked with Ledbetter for almost 25 years, said Ledbetter’s experience is what makes him ideal for the chief’s position.

“They could not have selected a person that has more experience in the inner workings of this department,” Stearns said.

Ledbetter’s experience and overall knowledge of the department has spawned one of his main initiatives for the future of the department – better communication.

He said most people think communication is how the department, as an organization, communicates or that he would voice his expectations of the officers, but he has a different take.

“Communication is making sure the information that I have that is important for patrol officers to have, that information gets to them, and that there is a process for that to go through,” Ledbetter said.

As the interim chief, Ledbetter began scheduling weekly senior staff meetings for the chief, deputy chief and lieutenants, and monthly supervisor meetings for senior staff members and sergeants, and he has continued those meetings as the chief, Stearns said.

Sgt. Paul Echols, who has also worked with Ledbetter for nearly 25 years, said interdepartmental communication is a key to success.

“Sometimes you have a piece of the puzzle, sometimes somebody else has a piece of the puzzle, and if you get together you can solve the puzzle,” Echols said.

In his new role as chief, Ledbetter said he would also emphasize cooperation with and involvement in the community.

“That has a lot to do with the background with what I’ve done in the police department, because I see the importance of the police department being a part of the community and the community being a part of the police department,” he said.

He said the department communicates well with the community through local newspapers and also offers numerous services such as the Citizens Police Academy, D.A.R.E. and National Night Out.

“All of that can be wrapped up in how we communicate with the community – essentially, we partner with them,” Ledbetter said.

Regardless of criticisms or the inherent difficulty of being a police officer, Ledbetter said he relishes his service to the community and understands the importance of his job.

“We have a role in society that we can’t step away from, and that is to enforce the rules and to try and prevent people from being victimized,” he said.

Brandon Augsburg can be reached at 536-3311 ext. 262 or [email protected].