Information on Charleston Police Chief Gregory Mullen:
Gregory G. Mullen was appointed Chief of Police of the Charleston Police Department on October 2, 2006. Chief Mullen, a retired Air Force veteran with 22 years of combined active and reserve service, began his law enforcement career in 1982 as a Special Agent with the Air Force Office of Special Investigations. In 1985, he joined the Virginia Beach Police Department, rising through the ranks to Deputy Chief of Police. His previous assignments included patrol, narcotics, criminal intelligence and resort operations.
Chief Mullen is an experienced leader with a proven record of community involvement, cultivating relationships and using teams to create opportunities and solve problems. He strives to establish strong community relationships throughout the city with the goal of strengthening relationships between the citizens of Charleston and their police department. Chief Mullen leads by example with a strong commitment to lifelong learning, employee growth and development, and accountability.
During his tenure, he has been instrumental in implementing a number of strategic changes throughout the organization that have led to enhancements in the areas of crime reduction, excellence in policing, community support and outreach, and technology advancements. He introduced the COMPSTAT program to the department, which uses GIS technology to map crime and identify problems, brings team commanders together to discuss the problems, and devise strategies to solve those problems in order to reduce crime and the fear of crime. In addition, to achieve these objectives he led the development of a robust crime analysis capability, organized Citizen Advisory Groups to foster better communication between the police and citizens, and launched a safety and security camera program.
The organizational enhancements have allowed the Department to be adaptive and flexible to changes involving laws, policies, citizen feedback, and technology innovations. This has led the Department to a focused policing strategy, which embraces the value of the community to prevent crime and create a safer community.
He is actively engaged in developing technology capabilities that enhance the state-wide and regional ability to gather, analyze, and share information and intelligence to improve the ability to be proactive and responsive to criminal acts.
Chief Mullen is an advocate for changing laws that target violent, repeat offenders who prey on the community. His efforts in 2010 and 2012 were instrumental in the adoption of a warrantless search requirement and emergency bond hearing procedures for violent offenders.
Chief Mullen created a Responsible Hospitality Group comprised of members of the hospitality industry to help identify key concerns and areas for improvement in the City's growing Entertainment District and management of the myriad of special events and festivals that occur in Charleston. This successful partnership led to the implementation of several key strategies, and its impact contributed to Charleston being recognized by Cond'e Nast Magazine as the number 1 tourist destination in the US, and the world, in 2012.
Chief Mullen received a Bachelor Degree in Criminology with Honors from Saint Leo College and a Master's Degree in Public Administration from Old Dominion University. He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia, Senior Executive Institute at the University of Virginia, the Professional Executive Leadership School at the University of Richmond, and the Senior Management Institute in Police from Boston University. In 1998 and 2008, he was selected to participate in law enforcement exchange programs involving the Israeli National Police and Victoria Police Service, in Victoria, Australia.
He serves on the executive board of the Trident United Way and South Carolina Law Enforcement Officer's Association. He is a member of the International Association of Chief's of Police, the Police Executive Research Forum, FBI National Academy Associates, and South Carolina Police Chief's Association.
