After almost 34 years of public service, Brentwood Police Chief Richard Hickey has announced that he will retire in February.
Throughout his tenure at the Brentwood Police department, he has held a variety of roles, ranging from patrol officer to detective before he was appointed chief in 2022.
“I will have been here 33 and a half years come February, and you know that feels like a full career to me,” he said. “I feel like I’ve accomplished everything that I wanted to. We have people in place to move up, and I want to give them a chance to do so and lead.”
Since stepping into the role of chief, Hickey has created various initiatives, including instituting body cams on the force.
He also transitioned the department into working to 10-hour shifts in a bid to “create a better working environment for all,” he said, noting that the move created a four day workweek, as opposed to the traditional five.
Originally from McMinnville Tennessee, Hickey enrolled at Lipscomb University before he graduated with a communications degree from Middle Tennessee State University.
Shortly after he graduated with his degree, he joined the Brentwood Police Department. While rising through the ranks, he became only the second Brentwood officer to attend and graduate from the FBI National Academy, officials said.
As he prepares to leave office, Hickey said he wants to thank Brentwood’s city leaders for trusting him to lead the police department for so many years and for all the positions he held before he became chief.
“It’s been my honor to work with some of the finest men and women found anywhere,” he said.
As for who will take over running the Brentwood Police Department next, officials already have a succession plan all worked out. Assistant Chief Jim Colvin has been named as the department’s next leader.
Colvin has been assistant chief since 2022.
“Jim and I have worked as a team for the past couple of years, and he’s been involved in everything that I do. He’s a fantastic, caring person, and I have the utmost confidence that he will make a great police chief,” Hickey said. As for a favorite memory, it’s been making the community a safer place, he said.
“I didn’t come here just to get a paycheck,” he added. “I wanted to spend my career doing something that I felt like made a difference to somebody. Whatever amount it was, I hope I did something to make life better for other people, and then that makes my life worthwhile.”
Hickey plans to officially retire on Feb. 28.