Starting next week, the City of Robertsdale will have a new police chief for the first time in 23 years.
Daniel Steelman, an investigator with the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office, was appointed police chief during Monday’s city council meeting.
Mayor Ruthie Campbell told 1819 News that Steelman will assume his new position on December 22.
“We are very excited to have Daniel Steelman as our incoming chief,” Campbell said.
Retired police chief Bradley Kenrick left the department after 36 years, 23 of those years as chief. Campbell said Kendrick had become a staple in the community and will be missed.
“He has lived here virtually all his life,” said Campbell. “He went to Robertsdale, graduated from Robertsdale High School and has been an officer for nearly 37 years. He was a wonderful chief.”
“It has been the greatest honor of my professional life to serve the City of Robertsdale and its citizens,” Kendrick said. “I began my service with a simple commitment: to protect, to serve, and to lead with integrity. Over the years, I have witnessed growth, faced challenges that tested our resolve, and celebrated accomplishments that strengthened our community. Through it all, the trust and support of the citizens of Robertsdale have been the foundation of everything we do.”
Campbell said she hopes to see public safety in Robertsdale continue to foster a relationship with the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office. She said that Chief Steelman will restructure the department to increase visible patrols.
“The new shine that’s going to come into the police department will spread patrols out more evenly and continue to make it more of a public safety area than we ever could have thought of,” Campbell added.
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