By DAVE DOMESCIK | Staff Writer

MONTEVALLO – A staple of law enforcement at the University of Montevallo has announced his retirement.

Tim Alexander, who assumed the role of police chief with UM in June 2018, has officially announced his retirement from the department—a decision that was difficult for the Montevallo native to make.

“Montevallo is my home, so being from Montevallo, growing up here as a young kid running across campus and doing everything… I always wanted to be the chief of police of the university, so it has been a dream come true for me,” Alexander said.

He said one of the most challenging parts of the decision to retire was the difference he was trying to make in the community by building relationships.

“Making a difference, trying to make a positive impact on everybody that I tried to come in contact with is what I enjoyed the most (in the job),” Alexander said. “I wanted to change the narrative of what law enforcement was.”

Not only was Alexander’s time at Montevallo impactful, but the university left an indelible impact on him.

“Montevallo is special because we have people here from all walks of life,” Alexander said. “You have people from all walks of life, different backgrounds and different countries collectively come together to make people feel welcomed and to make people really understand (that) they belong at Montevallo.”

During his time at Montevallo, the university was consistently ranked in the top three safest college campuses in Alabama, a statistic Alexander held as a badge of honor.

“Safety is important,” Alexander said. “You want people to feel safe and my job was to provide the best, most safe environment that was conducive to learning to allow these young people to thrive.”

Alexander cited that his deep experience in law enforcement gave him license to retire at the relatively young age of 47.

“I got started right after high school,” Alexander said. “I was a dispatcher first, so that’s what allowed me to be able to retire at 47. I started out at age 19. My first job was a dispatcher with the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office part-time. I went to police academy and graduated in May 1999. God blessed me. I was fortunate enough to get this position in June 2018, so I’m right at almost seven years (here).”

As difficult as the decision was to make, Alexander said this was the right time to retire because he feels like he has done everything he can, making it time for someone else to add their touch to the position.

“If my presence makes no impact, my absence makes no difference,” Alexander said. “I wanted to be as positive as I could be and make the greatest impact I could, and now that I think I’ve done that, I’m to a point where I can retire…. I can allow somebody else an opportunity to have the greatest job in the world.”

While Alexander’s time with UM has concluded, he will begin working for Walden Security, a private security company with a Birmingham branch. He concluded by giving advice to his future successor.

“Be prepared to be a part of a family,” Alexander said. “Be prepared to be a part of the community… Be more than just a chief.”