"In my line of work I see far too many children who have too few adults who care," said Ron Teachman in a video for a mentoring program made during his time as Police Chief in New Bedford, Massachusetts. "All you have to do is just listen and care and be there," he continued.
It's that ability to listen, to be inclusive and transparent, that Teachman says he will bring to South Bend. Speaking to FOX 28 by phone from Massachusetts, he told us he's excited to get here and start. "I'm anxious to get to work," he said. "I'm eager to take office."
Teachman retired as chief of New Bedford Police in 2011. He said his experience there will translate well in South Bend. After New Bedford he then took a job with The Emergence Group.
He worked overseas in Tajikistan as part of a police reform program with the State Department. "You take from that the confidence that if you can plant the seeds of community policing there and have it take root, you can certainly do it anywhere, and I expect to be able to continue what's being done already in South Bend," he told us over the phone.
Teachman doesn't anticipate much spare time once he starts his new job, but he tells us when he's off he likes to ride motorcycles and travel. Out of uniform he's also hosted a radio program, playing jazz and the blues. "Music and sharing the original art form that America had in jazz and blues is something I enjoy."
Teachman also has a law degree from New England Law School in Boston.
