Watch video on Youtube »

relatedarticlethumb

Fred Fletcher, chief of the Chattanooga Police Department, will leave the force this summer at the end of his three-year contract.

Fletcher says he intends to retire, but will stay on until the last day of his contract, which ends on July 6.

Chattanooga's police chief, who replaced Bobby Dodd as head of the city's police force, was recruited from Austin, Texas, and was sworn in on June 11, 2014.

Fletcher led the department through the dark days of July 16, 2015, in which a man attacked two military bases before he fell in a hail of police gunfire. He also led the rescue effort during a nine-vehicle crash on I-75 in which a tractor trailer killed six people, including two children.

Fletcher has butted heads with Hamilton County District Attorney Neal Pinkston over Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke's Violence Reduction Initiative, a community policing strategy designed to reduce gang violence.

Despite a reorganization of the police department, several investments in technology and a shift in strategy from his predecessor, shootings have not fallen in line with the original claims of the program's proponents.

Fletcher announced his retirement to the department through an internal email.

"Serving the brave and selfless men and women of the Chattanooga Police Department as you protect our community has been the absolute highlight of my professional career," he wrote. I have learned a great deal from you as individuals and from us as a Department. I have learned how to be a better cop, a better leader, and a better person. I will always be grateful for that."

"Our Department has made tremendous strides in the past three years. I know our brightest and most rewarding days still lie ahead," he continued. "We are filled with tremendous leaders who will advance our vision in ways I cannot even imagine right now."

Berke will reappoint Fletcher, offering his name for confirmation by the incoming City Council on April 18, 2017. Over the coming weeks, a transition plan will be developed that will include the process for selecting the next Chief of Police.

"From day one, I knew Fred Fletcher would be a great police chief. I also knew Fred and his wife Paige would be great members of our community," wrote Berke in a news release. "Fred has stood with Chattanooga during some of our darkest days and I say from personal experience, his ability to lead our officers during a crisis situation knows no equal."