After 29 years of serving the city of Selma as a police officer, Lt. John Brock has been appointed police chief.

Brock was appointed Tuesday night by Selma Mayor George Evans at the Selma City Council meeting to replace former Selma Police Chief William Riley, who resigned and took the same position in Inkster, Michigan right outside of Detroit.

“It’s always been a dream,” Brock said.

“You never know if it is going to happen or not, and toward the end of your career you think that’s probably not going to happen, and when Chief Riley resigned things just started falling into place.”

Evans’ decision came down to Brock and Lt. Johnny King. Evans said experience was one of the main reasons for appointing Brock as the new top cop.

“In my opinion, he has the years of [experience] in city government,” Evans said. “He’s been working for 29 years as a police officer in our city and has done a good job. I know there may be some that have a different opinion, but in my opinion, he is the man.”

King pledged his support to Brock after his appointment.

“I throw my support 100 percent behind Lt. Brock. I will work with him, and he’s got my support,” King said. “It’s about teamwork.”

Brock said he has been in law enforcement since he was a teenager.

“I’ve been working for this department since I was 17 and right out of high school,” Brock said.

“I started off as a part-time dispatcher. I left for a short period of time to work with the sheriff’s office and came back, and I’ve been there ever since.”

Brock said he feels like experience helped Evans in making the decision to appoint him.

“He needed an experienced person that can step in and keep going. If you bring in somebody new from outside, you’ve got to train them,” Brock said.

“It is a change, but it is really not a change. We’re already here. We’ve been here. The community can pick up the phone and call me. The only thing that is changing with me is the title from a lieutenant to a chief.”

Brock said his first goal as chief will be increasing pay for his officers and trying to expand the patrol division.

“It’s like I told the council, you’ve got to get behind me, and we’ve got to get these guys a raise. That’s the first and only priority I’ve got right now,” Brock said.

Brock will oversee 48 officers in his new role as police chief, and he hopes to see that number expand soon.

“The patrol division is the heart and soul of any department,” Brock said. “We’ve got to beef that patrol division up and get more of the response times cut down and officers riding through the neighborhoods to let people see the officers. When people see an officer they feel comfortable.”

After Brock’s appointment, Evans reinforced his decision to Selma City Council members, addressing what he felt were disapproving looks by some council members.

“I’m too the point where I know the faces … There are things that council members do I don’t agree with, but I don’t become your enemy. If you want to become my enemy because I appointed him as chief of police, I will stand by it,” Evans said. “I believe that Lt. Brock deserves a chance. I’ll stand by my decision.”

“He deserves an opportunity to do the job because he has earned it. Because he is white doesn’t make a difference because of our black population. That’s not the criteria.”