ATHENS, Ala. — After 41 years of service, current Athens Police Chief Floyd Johnson is retiring on August 1. The Athens City Council appointed Athens Police Capt. Anthony Pressnell as interim police chief. Pressnell has served with the Athens Police Department since Jan. 3, 1989. He currently serves as captain and supervises patrol, a job he's done since May 20, 2012.
“I appreciate the leadership Chief Johnson has provided our department, and the experience I have acquired working with him will guide me in this new role,” Pressnell said. "Public safety and working with the public, local businesses and city leaders will remain top priorities for this department and for me.”
Pressnell thanked the City Council and Mayor Ronnie Marks for trusting him with the responsibility of serving as interim chief and Mayor Marks returned the appreciation. “Capt. Pressnell knows our community well and has much experience to bring to the table to help us through this transition,” Marks said.
By state law, the police chief is a City Council appointment. Marks said he will work with City Council through the hiring process and scheduling interviews for internal applicants, and if the Council chooses, external applicants.
41 years of service is how long Athens Police Chief Floyd Johnson has been serving the Athens community. This week Athens Police Chief Floyd Johnson announced that he's retiring August 1.
Chief Johnson explained that when it's time to retire, sometimes you just know. "It's time. It's just simply time to go. I love the job. I love the people I get to work with, and I love the community I get to serve. I've been blessed, everything at the police department right now is going good. We don't have a major issue."
"Being a police officer is one of the best jobs that you'll ever have," Chief Johnson continued. But he also believes the job can come with some heartache. "I'll never forget when our two officers got killed, all the just...the lieutenant on the shift that day and they were my officers want and I'll never forget that."
Chief Johnson impacted many lives over his career. We spoke with one officer who said he owes everything to his chief. "I was working three jobs going to Calhoun. I didn't really know what I wanted to be in life, but he saw me and he saw my work ethic and he knew that I had potential. So he gave me his card, and the rest, as they say, is history. I applied and I've been a police officer, September will be 9 years."
So what's next for Chief Johnson? "I'm a little wary of that one. You know, I know, I'm going back to the farm. I'm going, well I'm going to start trying to work it more than I have been. I look forward to that. I love the animals and I love getting to be out there. I don't get enough chances, enough time to be there, spend more time with the family, especially my children, before they are out and gone."
