Human Resource Department
City of Burlington, North Carolina
P.O. Box 1358
Burlington, NC 27216-1358
336-222-5105
August 28, 2006
PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
Burlington Police Chief Announces Retirement
Burlington Police Chief Mike Gauldin has officially announced his plans to retire from the Burlington Police Department effective August 1, 2007, bringing to an end a distinguished 29-year career in law enforcement.
Gauldin started his career with the Burlington Police Department August 1, 1978 as a police officer. He was promoted to police officer first class in July 1980 and two years later assigned to the detective division as a police investigator. He served in the detective division from 1982 to 1990 during which time he rose to the position of senior investigator. He was reassigned to the patrol division from April 1990 to November 1991 where he was promoted to first sergeant. In December 1991 he returned to the detective division as a detective first sergeant and in May 1993 achieved the rank of lieutenant. In April 1996 he was promoted to investigative division captain where he worked until February 1999 when he was promoted to the position of police major. Following the retirement of then Police Chief John Glenn in February 2000, Gauldin was selected by then City Manager William R. Baker to become Burlington Police Chief.
“The citizens of Burlington will lose an outstanding public servant when Mike Gauldin retires,” said City Manager Harold Owen. “Mike is well respected in our community and highly thought of by his law enforcement colleagues across the state and
the nation. Chief Gauldin has been a tremendous advocate for the police department. He has a thorough understanding and appreciation for the responsibilities of his department and the City as an organization.”
“I am appreciative Mike has provided us advanced notice of his retirement plans as this will afford us ample time to find his successor,” Owen added. “We will initiate our assessment process this fall with the goal of naming his successor early next year. While we welcome applications from interested person outside the department, we are extremely fortunate to have several employees within the department who are more than capable of serving our citizens in this capacity.”
The Burlington Police Department has realized several significant achievements under Gauldin’s direction. Among them:
Reorganization of the police department that resulted in a stronger commitment to community policing and increased the number of officers on the street.
Development of a domestic violence initiative to reduce homicides and assaults that led to implementation of new response protocols and establishment of a special investigative unit.
Initiation of a Hispanic/Latino Outreach Program that is working to bridge the language and cultural gaps between the City’s Spanish-speaking population and the Police Department.
Creation of a gang investigation unit with a specialized investigative position and establishment of response protocols.
Implementation of the US Department of Justice Weed and Seed Program in East Burlington which has helped to deter crime through collaboration involving the police department and the community.
Establishment of a specialized traffic unit for intervention, education, and enforcement.
Development of a special response team capable of making high risk arrests, searches and seizures, and rescue operations.
Successful retention of national accreditation from CALEA (Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies) in 2002 and 2005.
Revision of department investigative techniques with emphasis on lineup and interview practices to reduce the potential of wrongful arrest.
Gauldin has received several awards and other forms of recognition for his work in the department and community. He was presented the Alamance County Sertoma Club Service to Mankind Award in 2006 and named Executive of the Year by the North
Carolina DARE Association in 2005. He and his wife, Karen, were contestants in the inaugural Hospice of Alamance County King and Queen Competition in 2002 and raised over $13,000 for the Hospice Home. His leadership abilities have also been recognized on the state level as he was selected to serve on the North Carolina Actual Innocence Commission from 2002 to 2006. In 2001 he was elected president of the North Carolina Internal Affairs Investigator’s Association.
Throughout his career Gauldin has strived to improve himself personally and professionally through his formal education pursuits. He holds an Associate of Arts degree from Rockingham Community College, a Bachelor of Science degree in Justice and Policy Studies from Guilford College, and a Master of Business Administration from Pfeiffer University which he received in May 2006.