Troy City Council appoints interim police chief

The Troy City Council on Monday appointed Allen Dye as the new City Police Chief.

On May 1, Dye will be sworn in as police chief in a temporary capacity while the city continues the search for a permanent police chief.

Despite an extensive and varied law enforcement background, Dye was modest about being appointed to the position.

“As police chief, we’ll see how good I am,” Dye said on Thursday.

Dye said he’s not familiar with the crime statistics in Troy, but he’s looking forward to diving into the job next month.

Dye spent 30 years in law enforcement as a San Jose, California before moving to Troy in 2006. Moving from a metropolis to the town of Troy was exactly what Dye said he wanted after retiring as a San Jose police officer.

“It was a great shift,” Dye said.

He’s since served as a Troy City Judge for four years and a Lieutenant with the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office. Beginning next week, he’ll begin working with current Police Chief Robert McLeod before McLeod retires on May 1.

The decision to retire was a tough one for McLeod, who’s served as police chief for six years. At the age of 53, McLeod’s deteriorating health forced him away from a position he loved, but rendered him unable to perform the tasks required by the job.

“It’s a big emotional thing for me, “ he said. “It’s time to hang it up.”

McLeod still plans on being a supportive force for Troy, whether that’s in a law enforcement capacity or in any other form of assistance to the city.

“I’m definitely not ready to give up what I do,” he said. “I still want to teach gun safety to kids. I love to speak and to help people. I want to serve the public in some fashion that doesn’t require me to be tackling or chasing people down.”

McLeod gave a glowing recommendation on Dye’s qualifications as a law enforcement officer and a positive asset to the Troy community. He said during Dye’s time as city judge, Dye was the only person he saw step down from the bench to shake a defendant’s hand and ask how they were doing.

“Allen is going to be great,” McLeod said. “He has the same kind of rapport with people that I did. He followed the rules but he was also kind and compassionate to people.”

Mayor Darren Coldwell on Wednesday also praised Dye as a respected member of the community, noting his background and willingness to serve as clear qualifications.

“He’s just a really good guy and community oriented,” Coldwell said. “Now we’re not under this huge feeling that we have to get somebody hired. There’s two officers right now and they need someone to turn to.”

Dye said he’ll soon sit down with the two Troy patrol officers to hear feedback on department needs. Dye also said he’s looking forward to working closely with Brandon Cox and Robbie Bowe from the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office during his temporary tenure as police chief.

Dye said he’ll likely be involved in the process of hiring a permanent police chief.

“After I’m sworn in on May 1, I’ll sit down with the council and figure out what they would like me to do,” Dye said. I think I would be in the process of advising the council [on hiring a new police chief].

“It should be interesting,” he said.

Reporter Seaborn Larson may be reached at 758-4441 or by email at slarson@dailyinterlake.com.