Evans Retiring In January; Winfree Taking Over

Cookeville Police Chief Randy Evans will retire at the end of January.

City Manager James Mills said it is difficult to see Evans go as the chief is an integral part of the city. Mills said he has talked with Evans about the possibility of retirement for several years and Evans decided now is the time after forty-one years with the department.

“To have a chief that leaves a department that’s accredited, one of the few across the state, Randy has brought the Cookeville Police Department to an all-time level of respect and ability to get the job done,” Mills said.

Mills said Police Major Scott Winfree will take over as the next police chief. Winfree will train with Evans over the next couple months. Mills said he expects a seamless transition as Winfree has been serving as a sort of assistant chief for multiple years.

“He’s attended numerous meetings with Randy and in his stead,” Mills said. “So it was pretty much one of my easier decisions to decide to promote Scott into chief. I’ve had to replace a lot of different directors and chiefs but this, again, Scott was the obvious choice.”

Mills said Evans has a wealth of institutional knowledge that cannot be replaced but the city has the resources it needs to do well after Evans leaves.

“Being the chief of police in a city the size of Cookeville or larger is a very stressful, important job,” Mills said. “If you consider what our officers have to deal with on a day-to-day basis, the types of crime they have to deal with.”

Mills said the city will be honoring Evans in various ways as the chief’s retirement draws closer.

“We’ll have several more things to talk about and inform the public about in terms of Randy’s service,” Mills said. “I consider him a dear friend and he’ll be missed.”