Richard Ernest Atkins

 

 

• Cincinnati Police Specialist
• Fairfax Police Chief
• Most Senior Cincinnati Retiree

 

Richard was born May 18, 1928 to Thomas W. and Beulah Atkins. He attended Taylor High School in North Bend and graduated in June 1946.

Within a month of graduation, Richard joined the United States Navy on June 8, 1946 near the end of World War II. He graduated basic training at the Naval Training Center in Great Lakes, Illinois. He was further trained at the Hospital Corps School in Bainbridge, Maryland. He was then assigned to the National Naval Medical Center as a Ward Corpsman in the Neuro-Psychiatric Division with temporary duty sometimes to a psychiatric unit at Fort Worth, Texas. Pharmacist Mate, 3rd Class Atkins was honorably discharged on April 7, 1948 with a World War II Victory Medal.

Within a month of his discharge, he began working at Clopay Corporation as a Bookkeeping Machine Operator. In October, he took a position with International Harvester as a stockboy. In February 1949, he switched to Printer Apprentice at Tri-State Butter Company. In September, he took a position with New York Central Railroad repairing freight cars.

Richard joined the Cincinnati Police Division in their 23rd Recruit Class on January 27, 1952. Exactly three months later, he was promoted to Patrolman, issued Badge 42, and assigned to District 3 (3201 Warsaw Avenue). A year later, he was rotated to District 4 (754 West Fifth Street). Another year later, he was rotated again to District 1 (1024 York Street). On January 6, 1958, Patrolman Atkins was assigned to the prestigious Traffic Bureau. Throughout his first dozen years, he was mentioned in newspapers dozens of times, usually for traffic enforcement, drunken driving arrests, and crash investigations. By August, 1959 he was one of very few patrolmen operating a new Police Interceptor on the recently completed Interstate 75.

After competing in the first promotional examination for the new rank of Police Specialist (replacing Detective), he was promoted on February 27, 1966, issued Badge PS-81, and assigned to the Juvenile Bureau (City Hall). Six months later, he transferred back to District 3 and served in the Investigative Unit. In February 1968 he was involved in the investigation, search warrant, and arrest of a man and the closure of 35 burglaries in Price Hill, Northside, and Mt. Healthy. On May 9th, he arrested two Courter Technical High School teachers in connection with juvenile delinquency of five children. In December 1973, he was elected Chaplain of the Fraternal Order of Police. His final assignment was as District 3 Investigative Unit Collator. Specialist Atkins retired June 7, 1980 with 28½ years of service.

He then began working for the Fairfax Police Department as an Administrative Assistant. In 1985, he was promoted to Sergeant. In October 1987, he was appointed Police Chief. In April 1988, he was also appointed Street Commissioner. After 14½ years with Fairfax, Chief Atkins retired December 4, 1995 with 45 total years of service to our country and two communities.

On October 26, 2023, Chief Atkins was declared by the Greater Cincinnati Police Historical Society to be the most senior Cincinnati Police Department retiree alive having served since 1952.

 

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