NEWS RELEASE

January 25, 2018

For Immediate Release

Savannah’s Interim Police Chief Takes the Helm

SAVANNAH, GA (January 25, 2018)— Today Mark Revenew officially became the Interim Chief of the Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police department. 

The City of Savannah held a swearing in ceremony for Chief Revenew this afternoon at City Hall in Council Chambers. The event was attended by the Mayor and Alderman, City staff, SCMPD officers, the Mayor of Pooler and many other distinguished guests and local law enforcement partners.

Mayor Eddie DeLoach began the ceremony by thanking the City of Pooler for allowing Chief Revenue to finish his career with the City of Savannah at such an important time. “It’s a great day in the City of Savannah,” said the Mayor. “I am proud to have Revenew serve our great city, he is my Chief.”

Chief Revenew is a 33-year veteran of the Pooler Police Department and has been Chief of the Pooler Police Department since 2007. He will not be seeking the permanent police chief position. The City is in the process of conducting a nationwide search for a permanent chief. Former Chief Joseph Lumpkin resigned earlier this month to take a top law enforcement job in DeKalb County, Georgia.

City Manager Rob Hernandez said, “Chief Revenew assumes command of a police department that bears the hallmarks of Chief Lumpkin’s accomplishments: a department with restored integrity and accountability, a department with a policing philosophy focused on neighborhoods and the people it serves, a department that welcomes new crime-fighting technology and approaches, and a department more diverse than ever before. Most importantly, a department that is laser focused on making this city safer as evidenced by the reduction of both property crime and violent crime in this City. With Chief Lumpkin’s departure and next week’s rebirth of the Savannah Police Department, it’s time to focus on the future of this department and our city.”

“We are pleased to have someone of Chief Revenew’s caliber to take over the leadership of the police department while we conduct a national search. His knowledge of Savannah, the County, and our region coupled with more than 35 years of law enforcement experience make him uniquely qualified to lead the police department through this temporary transition in leadership. I’m glad to have him on my team as my top law enforcement advisor,” Hernandez added.

Chief Revenew was pinned with his new SCMPD badge by his daughters and sworn in by the City’s Clerk of Council Luciana Spracher. The Chief praised the SCMPD for being a professional organization and said he was honored to be chosen to lead such a group.

“Who wouldn’t want to come work here, this is a fine, well-run organization that is state and nationally accredited,” said Chief Revenew. “There are many great officers here who will continue serving our citizens. One of my jobs will be to be their cheerleader and make sure the community knows about all the good things the officers do each day. Every decision I will make will be for the betterment of the community and the department."