Photo courtesy of the Columbia Police DepartmentCOLUMBIA, Tenn. -
Columbia Police Chief Joseph Bishop submitted his resignation to the city's city manager late last week.
Chief Bishop, a 34 year law enforcement veteran, has served as the city's police chief since November 2008.
Since holding the position, Bishop launched a crime fighting model, S.A.F.E for a Better Columbia that helped decrease the amount of crime in the city.
"I leave with pride in the unprecedented achievements that what we have made as partners in fighting crime in our city. We saw a steady decrease in crime and we achieved a 6.1% overall reduction in crime over last year," Bishop said.
Bishop said he plans to spend time with his family before joining the Tennessee Department of Corrections as the director of the Department of Investigation and Compliance.
"I will never forget the support from the CPD and the city as partners in ‘S.A.F.E. for a Better Columbia,'" he said.
Bishop's last day with the police department will be July 15.
Assistant Chief Tim Potts has been appointed to serve as interim chief.
