Clarkson Police Chief Buck Meredith has announced he is stepping down from his post while also looking ahead to the future.
Meredith, in a social media post on Monday night, said is resigning, effective May 1, 2023, the position he has held since February 2015.
“For the past eight years, I have proudly and honorably served as the police chief of Clarkson. I cannot begin to thank the mayor, the commissioners, the citizens and the business owners of Clarkson enough for the opportunity they granted me by letting me serve them,” Meredith said. “After many prayers and conversations with my wife, family and other mentors, I formally announce that I will be stepping down as Police Chief of Clarkson effective at midnight May 1, 2023.”
The 43-year-old Meredith quoted President John F. Kennedy in his statement, as he intimated he is looking forward to his future and not behind, at his past.
“John F. Kennedy once (said), ‘Change is the law of life. Those who only look at the past and present are certain to miss the future.’”
Looking toward the future, Meredith offered a statement that appears to indicate his nearly 15-year career in law enforcement is not coming to an end, as he teased the “biggest move yet of my law enforcement career.”
“My dedication has been and will continue to be focused primarily on the betterment of Grayson County and the communities within,” Meredith said. “Although it’s a little too early to disclose every detail, I can assure you that I am working and concentrating on the biggest move yet of my law enforcement career.”
“I have come to a place where I feel change is inevitable for growth,” Meredith continued, “(and) stepping down as police chief will give me more time to set things in motion; ‘the calm before the storm.’”
Of course, nearly a decade ago Meredith, with only five years of law enforcement experience at the time, lost to the considerably more experienced former Kentucky State Police Trooper Norman Chaffins by a healthy margin in the 2014 Primary Election.
(Chaffins was reelected to a third term in November 2022 and has not made a definitive statement on whether he will seek a fourth term.)
It remains to be seen if the now seasoned Meredith, a popular figure throughout Grayson County, announces a run for sheriff, but the path he has taken – Military contractor in Afghanistan, Grayson County Deputy assigned to the Narcotics Team, School Resource Officer, and Clarkson Police Chief – appears to have set the table quite nicely for just that.
Meredith, noting his sometimes difficult road as a law enforcement officer, expounded upon his journey to this point and again accentuated that change is unavoidable if one wishes to grow professionally.
“When I began my law enforcement career several years ago, I had wants and desires. Those desires eventually turned into dreams and then into goals,” Meredith said. “Shortly thereafter, I set myself on a path so that I would eventually conquer those goals. The path that I decided to follow has not always been an easy one, but I have buckled down and faced the uphill, winding portions of the journey head-on, without hesitation and without thoughts of ever giving up.”
During eight-plus years as Clarkson’s top cop, Meredith worked diligently to form relationships with the city’s citizens and business owners, instituting a community policing approach that paid dividends in the form of crime tips from residents, and positive community relations; leaving the next chief with large shoes to fill (both literally and figuratively), but more importantly, giving Meredith’s successor a foundation of support and admiration from the people of Clarkson.
“I am proud but humble of the achievements we made at CKPD during the past eight years and I’m sure the city officials will appoint a new chief who will continue to grow,” Meredith said. “Thanks Clarkson and Grayson County! You have forever been and always will be my people and my home! We will continue to develop and grow together.”
By Ken Howlett, News Director
Contact Ken at ken@k105.com
