HIGH POINT, N.C. — High Point Police Chief Travis Stroud said he has spent his entire career working for the hometown he loves.
"As a kid, all I wanted to do was be a police officer, just growing up as one of those things cops and robbers," he said.
When he was promoted to Chief in 2020, he told WFMY News 2 he wanted to "Give his all". Humbly, he said it's hard to measure what he's achieved in these last few years.
"This department has evolved since 1995 until now. I've been a part of a lot of those things. It's much greater than the individual. It is truly the biggest team sport you're ever going to come up with right here as law enforcement," he reflects.
Policy, crime-fighting, community, and training are the pillars Chief Stroud set as the standard for the High Point Police Department. That push into developing quality police officers has seemed to pay off. Currently, HPPD reports an 8% decrease in crime compared to this time last year.
He said the job as chief comes with its challenges and shares some advice as he prepares to pass the baton.
"As long as he's pushing us forward and we're fighting crime number one, followed quickly by the community engagement side, I don't think you can go wrong," Stroud said.
The chief plans to retire on November 30th.
MORE WAYS TO GET WFMY NEWS 2
Subscribe to our daily newsletter Let’s Get 2 It!
Download the WFMY News 2 APP from your Apple or Google Play store.
ADD THE WFMY+ APP TO YOUR STREAMING DEVICE
ROKU: Add the channel from the ROKU store or search for WFMY.
Amazon Fire TV: Search for WFMY to find the free app to add to your account. You can also add the app directly to your Fire TV through your Amazon account.