Document text
3 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Leaders praise retiring Talent police Chief Mike Moran ... Capturing autumn beauty: Winners of our 2015 Fall Colors Photo Contest ... 20,000-tree solution: How historic Ashland ranch project is keeping irrigation districts afloat ... Leaders praise retiring Talent police Chief Mike Moran ... Capturing autumn beauty: Winners of our 2015 Fall Colors Photo Contest ... 20,000-tree solution: How historic Ashland ranch project is keeping irrigation districts afloat ... LAW ENFORCEMENT Leaders praise retiring Talent police Chief Mike Moran Moran will leave job in April By Tony Boom for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Tony Boom for the Mail Tribune Posted Nov. 22, 2015 @ 12:01 am By Tony Boom for the Mail Tribune Posted Nov. 22, 2015 @ 12:01 am » Social News p bs:newslist StartDate="20121121" EndDate="p bs:datecalc Months="3"" DateSort="1" UseObjects="1" ObjectClass="81" Taxonomywords="2325,665" ExactTaxonomyMatch="1" Image="1" Count="4" --> TALENT — Talent police Chief Mike Moran will retire — for the second time — on April 22 after a 40-year career in law enforcement. “Mike has been able to retain the police officers, which is very unusual for a small organization, and build it into a police department as good as any in the valley,” said former Mayor Bill Cecil, who headed the town for four years during Moran’s tenure and was on the council when he was hired. Moran really understood community policing and what it takes to organize a police department in a small community on a professional basis, said Cecil. Moran began with the Talent department in 1975 as a 21-year-old reserve officer. He worked for Medford police for 29 years before retiring the first time. But when Talent's police chief, Bob Rector, took a job in Curry County, Moran stepped in as interim chief in August 2008. He gained permanent appointment to the post in January 2009. “I felt we were really blessed when we got Mike, to have a local who is well-known in the Rogue Valley,” said Teresa Cooke, who was on the council when Moran was named chief. “It’s sad for Talent that we are going to lose him. He did a really fantastic job.” Moran was able to work with neighborhoods that had concerns about traffic safety issues, said Cooke, who has been on the city’s Traffic Safety and Transportation Commission since 2008. He was always generous with his time and went to neighborhoods to come up with solutions, she said. “What was great is that he was able to have 24-hour coverage, even with the small patrol size,” said E.J. McManus, who was on the council when Moran was named interim chief. "That is something that is important for the community. He helped establish a really effective, strong police presence with the rest of his crew.” Moran said during Wednesday's council meeting that the job goes beyond chasing bad guys. “We’ve got our crime in town, but a lot of (the work) is trying to solve problems,” said Moran. “Sometimes it just seems to take forever, but you have rules you’ve got to play by.” Moran said a top accomplishment has been providing 24-hour coverage seven days a week with an eight-officer department. “It speaks to their dedication,” said Moran. Establishing good relationships with the community over time and having a stable staff are also noteworthy, he said. “We’ve established a good relationship with the schools in our town,” the chief said. Moran retired in 2006 from the Medford department, where as a lieutenant he commanded the patrol and executive divisions at various times. He also served as the department’s public information officer. The retiring chief was on the Medford School Board for eight years. He narrowly lost an election for state representative in November 2006 to incumbent Sal Esquivel. Moran will continue to teach part-time at the Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training Academy in Salem. A former radio broadcaster, he is going to explore options there, too. “There’s always politics, I guess. I don’t have any firm plans there,” said Moran, who said he has always been fascinated by that arena. He also may explore fly fishing and craft brewing. Moran said he announced his retirement now to give the city time for a leadership transition. The City Council has not yet established a procedure to fill the post. Tony Boom is an Ashland freelance writer. Reach him at [email protected]. By Tony Boom for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Tony Boom for the Mail Tribune Posted Nov. 22, 2015 @ 12:01 am » Comment or view comments Terms of Service /* $( document ).ready(function() { // Jquery mobile is trying to style the button and leaving a blank gry button on top of a white button $("#viafouracoms .vf-comment-controls li.vf-right").html(' Submit '); });*/ » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501