Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox Appoints Brent Blankley as New Chief of Police
February 17, 2020
TUSCALOOSA, AL- City of Tuscaloosa Mayor, Walt Maddox, has conditionally appointed Lt. Brent Blankley as Chief of the Tuscaloosa Police Department, effective March 3, 2020. Lt. Blankley has accepted the offer, contingent on confirmation by the City Council.
“I am happy to announce Lt. Brent Blankley as the next chief of police for the City of Tuscaloosa Police Department. The appointment for the position of chief is not one that I have taken lightly, and I have taken into account the recommendations of the community, City staff and many current and former police officers. I have full confidence in Lt. Blankley’s experience, and know that he deeply cares for the department and its officers, and will lead our department with integrity and dedication," said Mayor Maddox.
After graduating from the University of North Alabama in 2005 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice and a minor in Business Management, Lt. Blankley joined the Tuscaloosa Police Department in 2006. He worked as a Patrol Officer from 2006 until 2008 before moving to Crime Prevention in 2008. While in Crime Prevention, he helped develop programs for the Tuscaloosa community, including the Citizens Academy in 2009. He then served as the co-director of the Citizen’s Academy for six years. He began serving as the Public Information Officer (PIO) in 2009. During his time as PIO, he created and implemented the Tuscaloosa Police Department’s social media platforms. Lt. Blankley also served as the Criminal Justice Intern Coordinator for local colleges and universities, and as the Tuscaloosa County Crime Stoppers Coordinator between 2009 and 2011. In February of 2011, he was promoted to Sergeant in the patrol division. In 2015, he was promoted to Lieutenant, serving as the Midnight Shift Patrol Commander, where he remained until he moved to his current role as Commander of Municipal Security in December of 2018.
The rigorous search for the new chief began in October with a public survey that was completed by 1197 people. A recruitment period for the position produced 62 candidates. A search committee interviewed seven of these candidates and selected two finalists. Each candidate held a Q&A session with current members of the Tuscaloosa Police Department last week before the Mayor completed final interviews.