City Manager John McDonough appointed J.H. “Howie” Thompson as Police Chief for the City of Greenville at a recent surprise ceremony at the Law Enforcement Center.
Thompson, who was named Deputy Police Chief in November 2019, has served as Greenville’s Interim Police Chief since former Chief Ken Miller resigned in December 2019.
The City of Greenville launched a national search for a new chief in February and also conducted internal and external surveys to allow GPD staff and the community to provide input on the leadership qualities and experience the new chief should have. The city suspended the search in late May amid the coronavirus pandemic and announced that Thompson would continue to serve as Interim Police Chief for the foreseeable future.
According to McDonough, while Thompson was initially not in the running for the Police Chief position, the leadership he has demonstrated over the past 10 months convinced city leaders that he is the right person for the job. “If you look at the list of “must-have” qualities and attributes we included in our recruitment packet, you’ll find that Howie Thompson checks all the boxes,” said McDonough. “Additionally, the results from the surveys we conducted at the start of our search showed that in addition to having integrity, the ideal candidate should have the support and respect of GPD employees and the community and knowledge of Greenville and its issues. Not only does he embody those characteristics, but after working so closely with the Citizens Advisory Panel on Public Safety over the past few months, we believe Chief Thompson is uniquely qualified to lead the city’s efforts to develop an equitable, collaborative public safety system and ensure that Greenville is a safe and welcoming city for everyone who lives, works and visits here.”
Thompson began his law enforcement career in 1993 with the Mauldin Police Department before joining the Greenville Police Department (GPD) in 1997. Over the past 24 years, Thompson has risen through the ranks of the department, gaining valuable experience in all facets of law enforcement. Throughout his tenure with GPD, he has served in a variety of capacities, including Field Training Officer, Vice & Narcotics detective, SWAT team commander and Lieutenant of Special Operations/Vice & Narcotics, where he leveraged partnerships with SLED, the DEA and the FBI for joint investigations. He also served as Lieutenant of Uniform Patrol, where he supervised a platoon and represented GPD at neighborhood and business association meetings, identifying trends and developing strategies to enhance crime prevention efforts in the community.
In 2015, he became a member of the department’s command staff as Captain of the Support Division, which includes Traffic, Warrants, Court Security, School Resource Officers, the Community Response Team, the SWAT Team, the Dignitary Protection Team and the Crisis Negotiation Team. He also served as Captain of the Operations Division, where he led/managed uniform patrol supervisors and officers and coordinated with other GPD divisions, city departments and partner agencies, and Captain of the Investigations Division, where he managed criminal investigations into property crimes, financial crimes, family crimes and crimes against persons. He has also been a member of the department’s CALEA Accreditation Team and served as a liaison to Crime Stoppers and as a member of the Thirteenth Circuit Domestic Violence Fatality Review Committee.
Thompson received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of South Carolina and a Master of Criminal Justice degree from Anderson University. He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy and the Police Executive Research Forum’s Senior Management Institute for Police. He is also a member of Leadership Greenville Class 42. Thompson has earned numerous awards throughout his career, including James Perone Officer of the Year, 13th Circuit Alcohol Enforcement Officer of the Year, GPD Supervisor of the Year and GPD Medal of Valor. Additionally, Thompson recently received the Alumnus of the Year award from Anderson University’s Jeffery D. Black Command College of South Carolina.