Anthony Wilson says law enforcement is in his DNA. Inspired by a grandfather, brother and cousin who all served and protected, Wilson found law enforcement and community policing to be his life’s natural calling. Now in Westerville after 24 years with the Columbus Division of Police (CPD), Wilson will focus on recruiting and bringing his years of expertise in public safety to our community.
Where are you from originally?
I was born in Columbus, raised on the south side, and went to Marion-Franklin High School. After high school, I enlisted in the Air Force, where I spent most of my time in England and North Dakota as a security specialist, guarding airplanes and nuclear weapons facilities. When I was in the service, I was notified CPD was hiring. I flew home from England and took the police officer examination. When I was accepted, I got an early release from the military. I knew I wanted to get into the civilian side of policing.
What led you to a career in law enforcement?
My grandfather was a police officer with the CPD from 1938-51 and I had a cousin who was a police officer. He was injured in the line of the duty and, sadly, passed away from that injury. My brother is also a CPD officer. Policing has always been visible in my family: photos of my grandfather; interacting with my cousin and hearing her stories; coming home on leave from the military and doing a ride-along with my brother. Policing is a natural passion in my life. In 24 and a half years, I haven’t lost that passion.
Tell us about your years with CPD. What were your major responsibilities?
In Columbus, there were many different opportunities. One of things I was always involved in was community service. As a young police officer, I enjoyed doing the stranger danger presentations and interacting with preschoolers and kindergarten-aged children. As an officer, I later transferred into recruiting. To me, recruiting was a part of being in the community. You just don’t start recruiting people who are of age. You start at preschool and through DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education). That’s why DARE is so important; it was really crucial to building community relationships when it was introduced. When we encounter kids in DARE, we’re planting a seed. As we continue to interact, it cultivates and continues to grow. When kids start seeing public safety as a career, you can actually see the fruits of your labor. You don’t do this job for the salary. You do it because there’s something in you that wants to help people.
What would you characterize as your most rewarding achievement in your years at CPD?
Honestly, it’s the people inside and outside the organization I appreciated. The biggest thing for me was that engagement. So many people from various backgrounds; good people who make up the community we serve. We would go in their homes to take a police report and spend time just engaging, laughing and joking. You enter a situation where people were distraught at first and leave with them smiling. That’s a service. I always say you have to remember in this profession you can spend time with people. That’s OK. It’s not sympathy, it’s empathy.
What was attractive to you about this position in Westerville?
I have always been attracted to leadership. I’m pursuing my Ph.D. in organizational leadership. So, when I was looking at different opportunities in and around Columbus, one of the things I looked for was leadership, the community programming and the city as a whole. For Westerville, I wanted to see if I could learn about the real Westerville and how I would fit. I looked at the website, annual reports and staff information. What I saw and read and learned from that process spoke to my heart. One of the last things that really sold me on Westerville was how the City Manager spoke of customer service. That resonated with me because that’s what we do in public safety, first and foremost.
What have you noticed about Westerville since you started work in March?
It’s a very professional organization. The way in which everyone carries themselves and approaches their responsibility is impressive. Staff is friendly and outgoing, and that’s not just in the Police Department. I’ve noticed that same things about the community. My wife and I have even started talking about moving here. (Wilson currently lives in Grove City.)
What do you hope to achieve in your role for WPD?
I definitely want to continue to assist the Chief and everyone at WPD to be the best department in the United States, not just the state of Ohio. I want to get more involved in community efforts – get into the high schools, and meet administrators and students. My goal is to continue the programs we are doing and create new programs to benefit the youth and the residents in the city. On the recruiting side and investigative side, we’re reviewing and updating policies and getting the men and women of the department involved in that initiative.
How can the community get involved?
In policing, that’s the partnership. When we look at, for example, revising or updating Internal Affairs processes, why not have the community give its stamp of approval? It shows we’re open and we want to involve the community in every aspect of our policing program. Our customers are our stakeholders and we want to include them in everything that we do. We have a community of veterans we cannot forget about. From recruiting to building partnership with organizations, there are opportunities to get every segment in the community involved, including singles, couples, youth and the elderly.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
I like to golf and love to read. The best book I’ve read lately is Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell. It gives you different perspectives of how to look at things based on certain accomplishments of “high achievers.” I also enjoyed Leadership by Rudy Giuliani. With these books, you’re talking about leaders who not only hold themselves accountable, but paint a picture of what it’s like for them.
Tell us a little about your family.
My wife, Kyatonna, and I keep very busy with our 4-year-old identical twin boys. I also have three older children. That’s what I look forward to every day when I go home.
