Tyler Whisenant assumed his role as the new chief of the Maiden Police Department on Monday.
Whisenant was joined by his wife Kelli and their daughters Twyla and Mila as he took an oath to serve the town of Maiden during a town council meeting.
Whisenant, 37, said he comes from a family of law enforcement officers. His dad Steve Whisenant was the Burke County sheriff until he retired in 2022. Tyler Whisenant has served as a law enforcement officer for 15 years.
“My dad was law enforcement for over 40 years. So, I grew up in it,†Whisenant said. “I started with Burke County, and then my dad became the sheriff there. So, I went to Catawba County (Sheriff’s Office), worked there for six years, and I came to Maiden in 2017.â€
When Whisenant came to the Maiden Police Department, he had one major career goal. The goal was to become a police chief.
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“When I came (to Maiden), I actually sat down with Chief (Tracy) Ledford,†Whisenant said. “He said, ‘What's your goal?’ And I said, ‘I want to be a police chief.’ He said, ‘Alright, this is what we're going to have to do.’ I’ve been fortunate to work my way up with their (the department’s) support. It's been good.â€
Ledford was the Maiden police chief for 14 years before taking a job as the town manager in November. Whisenant stepped in as interim police chief during the transition. Whisenant said it felt surreal to finally reach his goal of becoming chief.
“(Town) managers will face a lot of hard decisions. This is just not one of those,†Ledford said about Whisenant’s promotion.
Whisenant said he looks for sincerity in recruits. His advice to future police officers was to build relationships.
“The saying we have here (at the Maiden Police Department) is, ‘You can't police your community until you know your community,’†Whisenant said. “If you're going into this job, make sure you're going into it to make that difference. And by that difference, I mean, build those relationships. You may be the only positive person someone sees. If you continue to be that positive person, then you know you can make that difference.â€
During his free time, Whisenant enjoys spending time with his wife and daughter. He said he likes surf fishing, travelling, hiking and going to the beach.
“Anything we (my family) can do together is what I focus on,†Whisenant said.
Whisenant said he couldn’t have been successful without a strong support system with friends, family and mentors. Many of whom were present at the meeting on Monday to congratulate him. The Maiden Town Council room was filled with police chiefs, sheriffs, officers and lawyers during Whisenant’s swearing in.
Whisenant feels successful when he sees others succeeding, he said.
“If somebody that you are mentoring or supervising is getting better than you, then that speaks success,†Whisenant said.
