Cops and Reporters

I noticed that former Greenville, S.C., Police Chief Mike Bridges has died. The photo here is from the Greenville News and was shot in his office--an office I remember well from my days as a young reporter at the The Greenville Piedmont, a now defunct afternoon newspaper.

My mornings during my shifts as a cops reporter would start by working my way through Greenville County's Law Enforcement Center, which housed the city's police department as well as much of the county's sheriff's office and the detention center. It was a one-stop cop shop for a reporter. And one of the routines of my morning rounds would involving having Chief Bridges wave to me from his office and ask me to come in and chat. Weather, news, sports, local government, what's going on--all were the topics on Chief Bridges' mind. But there was also an open door there that he wanted to make sure I understood. You have a question? Ask it. You want to know what I think about something? Ask me. Chief Bridges was always ready to talk and add his expertise or simply his opinion.

At the same time, I had pretty much unfettered access to his detectives, officers and department leaders. There was no asking permission to talk to me. Bridges trusted his officers, trusted his leadership and trusted me to talk to him if something didn't seem right. And he was always perfectly willing to say "I can't talk about that now but I will when I can." I respected that and understood the game. He also understood that I'd likely try to find my answers elsewhere and he would frequently hint as to where I might find them.

And, like any good cop, Chief Bridges had a wicked sense of humor and was quick to use it. It was sneaky and it was often unexpected as he was, after all, a serious man with a serious job. Cop humor is not subtle. Was there tension? Absolutely. There should be when journalism meets public officials. But Bridges was a quick study. He restricted the use of high-speed chases in his department. He used community policing tactics that included officers on horseback and bicycles. He encouraged his officers to find ways to solve problems that didn't involve the use of force and he had his department accredited by national policing organizations with strict rules about police procedures. He understood that public trust was much more to be desired than fear. His leaders were opinionated, plain spoken and quick to point out problems both in the department and in the community.

Rest in peace Chief Bridges. And thanks for your patience a long time ago when I'm sure I had no idea what I was doing.