When Kirt Bowden began his law enforcement career at the Bloomfield Township Police Department in 1977 he never thought he would one day become the Chief of Police.
‘The competition going through the department is so tough, you just never know how things are gonna work out,? he said.
On March 26, Bowden, who is a 30-year resident of Oxford, was sworn in as the new Chief of Police for the BTPD.
Though he’s only been chief for 2? weeks, Bowden has already made four promotions among his 70 sworn officers.
‘It’s been great,? he said. ‘It’s been very active around here.?
Being active isn’t a foreign feeling for Bowden. After starting at the BTPD in 1977, the 53-year-old rose through the ranks quickly, becoming a detective in 1988, a sergeant in 1993, a lieutenant in 1999, captain in 2002 and Deputy Chief in 2006.
He’s received a Department Unit Commendation, Honorable Mention, a Meritorious Service recognition, Letter of Recognition and was named the department’s Officer of the Year in 1987.
An interesting line of accomplishments, considering Bowden originally went to Eastern Michigan University to study psychology, history and political science. He had even planned on attending law school.
Bowden said he began getting interested in the law enforcement field after continuously talking with friends who were sheriff’s deputies or police officers.
‘Just talking about their type of work and what they were doing sounded interesting to me,? he said.
Bowden’s goals as the new Chief of Police are to effectively train and mentor what he calls his ‘young department,? keep up with the always changing technology, and strive to serve the community to make sure the residents feel safe and secure.
To keep him up-to-date with training, Bowden recently completed a three-month course at the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia, where he took classes in leadership and human behavior, as well as participating in vigorous physical training groups.
Bowden said he and his wife, Garnet, have enjoyed living in Oxford for as long as they have because of the ‘small town? kind of feel. Their two children, Katie and Jeff, are both graduates of Oxford High School.