Edina City Council Welcomes New Police Chief

By Echo Menges

The Edina City Council has hired a new chief of police for the Edina Police Department.

The council met in closed session Tuesday, Jan. 20, to interview the applicant and offer the job.

According to Edina Mayor Linda Kerr, the decision to hire was unanimous.

City Clerk Margaret Gibson said David Dudley, who was offered the job the following morning, accepted the position the same day.

Dudley, 59, of Columbia, Missouri, confirmed to The Edina Sentinel that he has accepted the position and hopes to begin his duties within about three weeks. He is making arrangements to relocate to Knox County.

Dudley’s background includes years of service in the Army National Guard and the reserves, as well as work as a deputy in Knox, Shelby and Monroe counties. He also has experience as a police officer in Edina, Monroe City and Macon, and has worked as an armed guard for the Social Security Administration. Before entering law enforcement, he attended the police academy at Moberly Area Community College in 2000.

“I went to LaPlata High School before entering the military at age 17. I finished high school while serving in the Army National Guard. In 1989, I joined the Army National Guard Reserves,” Dudley said. “Before that, I grew up in south Kansas City until my parents retired and purchased a little farm west of LaPlata. I grew up from age 10 to adulthood there.”

Dudley said he is looking forward to returning to the Edina community and hopes to foster a good relationship with the Knox County Sheriff’s Office.

“My love of the job is ever-evolving, and my thing is community policing. That’s something I learned back when I worked for Rick Stone at Monroe City,” he said. “I’ve never talked to a stranger. I like to work with people, bring people together and help resolve issues.”

Dudley and his wife, Julie, are looking for a two-bedroom home in the Edina area with room for family to visit. He has four adult children and eight grandchildren.

Current Edina police officer Naomi Tharp will continue working for the city for three months while the new chief transitions in. Dudley hopes to keep Tharp on the force as a reserve officer, and the city council has commended her for her service.

“The council is pleased with her job performance and hopes to bring her back or be able to keep her on staff if finances change for the city,” Gibson said.

“It wasn’t meant to last forever,” Tharp said. “We knew the position was temporary from the beginning.”

Tharp has been the city’s only police officer on duty since the resignation of former Chief Ryan Bishop in July. She has worked various shifts on a part-time basis since then.

“We are happy to welcome our new chief to the city,” Kerr said. “He had a good interview. He has a good temperament, and he is personable. I hope people will introduce themselves and help us welcome him to the community.”