Umatilla Police Chief Adam Bolton
Umatilla Police Department:
[PHOTO CREDIT: Bonnie Whicher]
(This Article was First Published in LLN in August, 2014 — Issue No. 19.)
Though he began his adult life as an emergency medical technician (EMT), it didn’t take long for Chief Adam Bolton to realize it wasn’t his cup of tea. “As I was getting into the medical field, I found myself in traffic behind a police truck towing an airboat, and a four-wheeler in the bed. I thought to myself, ‘what a job that guy has.’ I decided [right] then to switch career paths and go into law enforcement.”
Born in Georgia, Bolton currently lives in Eustis, Florida, with his wife and two children. Just 32 years old, he has spent his entire law enforcement career in Umatilla and despite being offered positions in other agencies, he “never received one that I thought offered me more than UPD did,” he tells Lake Legal News. He started in 2005 and rose to the ranks of corporal, sergeant, interim chief and finally the city’s permanent chief. In his free time, Bolton enjoys the outdoors, sports and patronizing local restaurants. (“If I wasn’t a police officer, I’d want to be a chef.”) He also plays several musical instruments and is a big supporter of the local music scene.
With a department of only seven officers, Umatilla’s top cop says his officers get experience they likely wouldn’t get at a larger department. “At this time we don’t have specialty units, so if there is a burglary, then [the officer] is investigating a burglary from start to finish, [the same] with a sexual battery. There’s no one to hand your case off to. It really teaches you something about accountability.”
Another advantage the department gains from its smaller size — each officer has a voice. “I meet with every officer on my staff at least once a week. It’s easier to feel like you are an influential part of the team with a small department.”
As for the future? “I believe that a city’s police department is a large part of its identity. I intend to guide this department in a way that the community can be proud of and to grow and adapt to changing times and technologies, while keeping our hometown police department feel,” says Bolton. “I intend to create specialized units as the city grows, such as detective positions, in order to combat burnout and create new opportunities for officers. I would like for the agency to someday be accredited.”
Our Editor-in-Chief, Marilyn M. Aciego, began writing for Lake Legal News in 2010. In addition, she has made more than two dozen appearances on live national television, including Nancy Grace and the Greta Van Susteren show, along with her appearance on Evil Twins. Contact her with breaking news, tips, and feedback by sending an e-mail to 352Tips@gmail.com. You can also contact us on our Facebook page — and make sure you “Like” and “Follow us” there. [PHOTO CREDIT: Bonnie Whicher]
