New police chief, Scott Smith, will focus on community policing, lead by example in Ludlow

By Mark Hansel
NKyTribune Managing Editor

Ludlow’s new police chief plans to take a community-oriented approach to policing in the small Ohio River community.

Chief Scott Smith, whose first day was Tuesday, was most recently a sergeant with the Erlanger Police Department and previously served as a police officer in Newport before taking the top job in Ludlow.

Smith also served as a U.S. Army Ranger and said all of the skills he has acquired in his career have helped prepare him for this new role.

“It’s really a matter of bringing a specific leadership perspective into a small department,” Smith said. “I want to get back to the basics of policing. I think I offer the community-style of policing and officer-involved policing that they need here.”

Smith plans to lead by example.

“I’m not one to sit in the office and once I get through this first week or two, people are going to see a lot of me,” Smith said. “I’m excited to get out in the community and I know a lot of people are reluctant to approach the police, but I want them to talk to me or stop in the office and tell me if they have a concern.”

Ludlow currently has 11 police officers and will add another in August.

The department has been without a police chief since Steve Jarvis resigned abruptly in December. Since that time other members of the department have assumed some of the chief’s duties as the city searched for the right candidate to replace Jarvis.

Smith admits being referred to as “chief” took a little getting used to, but said he has received a warm welcome into the department.

“The people of Ludlow have been extremely nice and everyone in the office has been really respectful,” Smith said. “I was worried the officers here might not be receptive to some of my ideas, but everyone here seems eager to do some things differently and they are excited about the changes.”

Smith is part of a competitive Brazilian jiu jitsu team and competes in events around the country. Among the changes he would like to implement are adding a fitness facility in the department and providing advanced defensive tactics training for police officers.

“I take physical fitness pretty seriously and I encourage it among officers,” Smith said. “In some departments it has become much easier to pull a gun than it is to put your hands on somebody. We are going to provide detailed training so officers know how to use defensive tactics properly.”

Smith, 40, has been in law enforcement for 12 years and realizes he has less experience than others in his role but said he has been preparing to take this step for a while now.

“I decided about three years ago that I wanted to be a chief,” Smith said. “I’m meant to pull from the front; I’m not a follower. I want to be in a position to make the decisions.”

In some ways, Smith sees his relative youth in the position as a big advantage.

“I think I’m still early enough in my career to bring zeal and enthusiasm into a department and that’s really my goal,” Smith said. “It’s very easy to get focused on the ‘stuff,’ such as purchasing equipment, and you lose track of the community and basic policing. As a police officer, if you just go from call to call, people are not really associating that face with a person, it’s just somebody responding to a call and leaving.”

Smith has about seven years remaining until he is eligible for retirement and said he wants to spend his remaining time on the force improving the Ludlow Police Department.

“My goal is to make Ludlow a sought-out department for people who want to be police officers,” Smith said. “I want people to come here because it is a respected place to be a police officer.”

That can be a challenge in a region where a metropolitan police department that pays very well and offers great benefits is located right across the river in Cincinnati.

“You have to make enough money and it can be challenging to compete with other departments and get people to come here,” Smith said. “But if you do everything right, and people see all of the little added benefits – that you have a vision and provide great training – those are things that will bring guys in.”

Smith is also among a growing number of law enforcement professionals who come into the job with advanced academic degrees. He has a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and a Master of Public Administration degree from Northern Kentucky University.

“It isn’t enough anymore for police officers to just come in from the academy, because of the technology, the advancements, and the money is also an issue,” Smith said. “We are asked to do more with less and if you are able to bring additional skills to the table, a city doesn’t have to drain the bank to get things done.”

One of the biggest advantages Smith sees in officers who have an advanced degree, whether or not it is in law enforcement, is that they recognize that policing is also a business.

“Maybe those classes taught you how to market or get out there and present yourself in a positive way, because you are branding yourself every time you put on that uniform,” Smith said. “The dollars and cents matter as well and a professional appearance is important. An advanced degree helps you look at this as a business with a public safety aspect attached to it.”

Smith lives in Independence with Amy, his wife of 19 years, and their three children. Their oldest daughter, Zoey, is 12 and they also have a son, Parker, and a daughter, Allison, who are seven-year-old twins.