WHITEVILLE, NC — Behind the badge and daily operations of the Whiteville Police Department is Chief Paul Rockenbach, who took over leadership of the department with a focus on leadership, character, and community connection.
In a Q&A highlight released by the department, Chief Rockenbach offered a personal glimpse into his approach to law enforcement, the lessons that guide him, and a bit of humor from the beat.
Q&A with Chief Paul Rockenbach
Q: What is one lesson you learned as a young officer that still guides you today?
Chief Rockenbach: “Slow down and listen. As a young officer, I thought I always needed to have the answer. I have learned that sometimes the best thing you can do for a citizen or an officer is just listen first. Listen before speaking.”
Q: What quality do you value most in the officers who work for you?
Chief Rockenbach: “Character. None of us are perfect, including me. I care more about whether you are honest, own your mistakes, treat people right, and try to be better tomorrow than you were yesterday.”
Q: What’s something about being Police Chief that you never expected before taking the job?
Chief Rockenbach: “How personal it becomes. You do not just worry about the department. I worry about the people in our department. Their careers, their families, whether they are doing okay. I did not expect to carry that home with me as much as I truly do.”
Q: Which is scarier: A 2 a.m. phone call or an officer saying, “Chief, before you get mad…”?
Chief Rockenbach: “‘Chief, before you get mad…’ Not even close. A 2 a.m. phone call means we have a problem, that’s easy—we handle those daily. The old ‘hey Chief, before you get mad’ means they created the problem; and somehow, I am the last one to know about it.”
Q: Who in the department would survive the longest if you all got stranded on a deserted island?
Chief Rockenbach: “I am thinking Lieutenant Adam Gore, he’s a ‘tinker’—he likes to ‘tinker with things.’ I think he would more than likely do best stranded on a deserted island.”
Q: What’s something your officers do that secretly makes you laugh, even though you’re supposed to be the Chief?
Chief Rockenbach: “When I walk into a room and everybody suddenly gets quiet and looks busy. I always want to tell them, ‘Guys, I was a patrol officer too. Whatever you were talking about, I have probably heard worse.'”
Q: What accomplishment during your career are you most proud of?
Chief Rockenbach: “Probably the people I have had the opportunity to help along the way. Titles are great, but they will always go away. If somebody became a better officer or leader because I believed in them, and I was able to help them along the way to reach their goals, that means more to me.”
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