HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Huntsville Police Chief Mark McMurray announced he will officially retire March 1, after more than three decades with the City of Huntsville.
McMurray, joined HPD in 1986 after serving as a Tennessee Valley Authority firefighter and security officer at Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant. He's been the chief since 2015.
“I want to thank Mayor Tommy Battle for the opportunity to lead the men and women of HPD,” he said. “I will leave the force knowing it has a strong leadership team that will help take HPD to the next level in public safety. My family and I look forward to watching the department continue to grow.”
According to a statement by the city, during McMurray’s leadership, the department reorganized its Criminal Investigation Division to a centralized location and activated the North Alabama Multi-Agency Crime Center (NAMACC) to use advanced technology to help investigators solve complex cases. He also upgraded departmental training by opening a new police academy and state-of-the-art firearms range. The facilities bring current and potential police officers from across the country to Huntsville for training.
He's also faced tough questions on subjects including department transparency, the handling of protests in the summer of 2020, the conviction of former officer William Darby for murder, the death of Christina Nance, the shooting deaths of Crystal Ragland and Bradley Pugh, and a video showing an officer stomping on a suspect during an arrest at a local convenience store.
Mayor Battle said HPD has been making improvements in practices and culture for years and the department’s status as a CALEA Gold Standard with Excellence agency places Huntsville well ahead of many cities in adopting new protocols and reforms.
“Chief McMurray has embraced 21st century policing, and our City and police department are better for it,” he said. “Under Chief’s command, our officers have the resources they need to keep residents safe while continuing to hone their skills as law enforcement professionals. We hope Chief McMurray enjoys a happy and well-deserved retirement with his family.”
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Retired HPD Capt. Vincent Dauro, now a regional program manager with CALEA, said fewer than 10% of agencies in the country are CALEA accredited. Being accredited at the highest level means HPD has policies and procedures in place to protect citizens, officers and the City.
Dauro praised McMurray for his vision and efforts to constantly evaluate and improve HPD’s operations to enhance public safety.
“When you allow outside professional entities to set the standards that everybody should be using in the profession, then (Huntsville) citizens know their officers are going to be the best,” he said. “They’re going to be trained right and they’re going to treat people properly.”
Deputy Chief Kirk Giles will step up to serve as Interim Chief. Officials for the city say that Mayor Tommy Battle appoints all department heads, including the police chief, and will address the City Council at their Feb. 24 meeting.