Passage IV

Beverly Harvard: Answering a Challenge

Beverly Harvard—the chief of police in Atlanta and the first African American woman to lead a major citys police department—began her career in law enforcement in an unusual way: to answer a challenge made by her husband. A woman her size (five feet, four inches), he didn't think she had the strength to pass the grueling physical tests required for police recruits. So, Harvard, whom held a master's degree in urban government and administration, bet him that she could pass the tests and then signed on as a police recruit.

What followed were two months of arduous physical training. Harvard found that she enjoyed meeting the physical and mental demands. Indeed, she liked training so he decided to continue, entering the police academy to study law and police procedures. By the time she graduated, she felt as though she had wanted to be a police officer all her life.

Once on the job, Harvard was given demanding assignments, including night patrol in the toughest neighborhoods. Undaunted, she thought of ways to improve the patrols and suggested it to her supervisors. Eventually she was called on to be the person who headed special projects. Her dedication opened doors for her within the department. Each one leading to a higher level of command. (54)

Appointed police chief in 1994, Harvard assumed responsibilities for approximately two thousand officers and civilian employees and a budget of more than $90 million. One of her biggest challenges came two years later, when she helped assist in the coordination of security for the Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta. Her efforts to deter crime have been praised by many community leaders, admiring her calm style in dealing with problems. Such praise does not come any easier to any big-city police chief, but Harvard applies her talents and works twelve-to-sixteen-hour days to earn them. When asked about her future, she says that she doesn't worry about not being chief forever. "Right now," she says, "I just want to focus on being the best chief Atlanta has ever had."