3 Major Advantages of Being Willing to Relocate For a Police Chief Job

One of the first decisions you have to make as a candidate for police chief is whether you are willing to relocate for the job.  Are you ready to move across the state or even across the country for your new job?  Are you willing to uproot your family for a new opportunity?

The answer for many is yes and for others is no.

I live within 20 miles of where I was born and where I have lived all of my life.  I never really considered relocating for a job.

The Dunwoody Police Chief Job was attractive because it provided an opportunity to start a department from scratch and I would not have to relocate for the job.

Of course, I do have some brutal commutes some days.

A few years ago I was reading through a police chief job advertisement for Lynchburg, Virginia.  The opportunity was very attractive.  I’m not sure if it was the advertisement that did it for me or the beauty and location of the city.  Regardless, I wistfully contemplated applying for the position.

In the end, I was not willing to move, so I did not apply.

Even though I wasn’t willing to relocate, I believe there are three significant advantages for candidates who are willing to relocate for a new job.

Better Selection of Job Choices

Let’s face it.  If you are not willing to move, your opportunities are limited.  Within a small, geographic area, occasional openings will happen. But the chances of an opening happening at the right job, at the right size department is limited.

When you expand your geographic area of interest, you also strengthen your opportunity with a better selection of job choices. Share on X

For example, if you are searching for an opportunity to lead a department with 75-100 sworn officers, your chances of finding a job that is a fit for you significantly improve.

You Can Be More Selective

When you have few opportunities, you may have to apply for a job that is not a good fit.  In the long run, getting a job that is not a good fit for you can lead to future problems.

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As job opportunities increase because of your willingness to relocate, you can be more selective in your search process.  You can narrow your search down to a particular geographic area if you like or for the opportunity that most closely aligns with your skill set.

The benefit of being willing to relocate is you can be extremely selective in the jobs for which you apply.  There is no need to merely apply because the position is located near you.

Professional Advancement

If you are willing to relocate, you will have opportunities to advance your career by progressing through various size departments if you are interested in doing so.  This type of opportunity is rarely available if you are not willing to relocate.

I know several police chiefs who have taken advantage of their willingness to relocate to advance their career.  I think highlighting two of those individuals would be helpful.

Robert Burby joined the Marietta Police Department in 1998 after serving over 20 years in the United States Air Force.  After a few years, Robert was appointed as the Chief of Police for the Holly Springs, Mississippi Police Department.  At the time, the Marietta Police Department had 136 sworn officers, and the Holly Springs Police Department had approximately 10 sworn officers.

In 2004, Chief Burby relocated again to Texas City, Texas where he was appointed as the new Chief of Police for the police department.  The Texas City Police Department is similar in size to the Marietta Police Department.

Chief Burby has served his community well for over 14 years.

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My friend, Joel Fitzgerald, served with the Philadelphia Police Department for 18 years commanding the Narcotics Division before retiring.  In 2009, Joel relocated to Texas and accepted the Chief of Police position with the Missouri City, Texas Police Department.  Chief Fitzgerald served this department of 100 staff members for over four years.

Chief Fitzgerald moved again, accepting an appointment as the Chief of Police of the Allentown, Pennsylvania Police Department.  This department had 211 sworn officers.  Chief Fitzgerald served with the department for almost two years.

In 2015, Chief Fitzgerald was appointed as the Chief of Police for the Fort Worth, Texas Police Department.  Chief Fitzgerald moved again, this time to the 16^th largest city in the United States with a sworn staff of over 1,800 officers.

Both of these examples demonstrate the opportunities for professional advancement that exists if you are willing to relocate for those available opportunities.

Conclusion

Although job opportunities as a police chief exist within a defined geographic area, they are limited.  If you are willing to move based on the best job opportunity, your chances of finding a position that fits you and your skill set are greatly expanded.

When you are willing to relocate you have a better selection of choices, you can be more selective in your job choice, and your chances of professional advancement increase exponentially.

Are you willing to relocate to follow your dream?

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