Danny Whiteley takes his job as Poplar Bluff police chief seriously and everybody in the state knows it.
That was proven recently when the Missouri Police Chiefs Association honored Whiteley as Missouri's Top Cop at its annual meeting in Jefferson City.
For those who know Whiteley well, the honor didn't really come as much of a surprise.
Nobody shows more dedication to his job than Whiteley. For him it's not a 40-hour a week position. It's more like 24-7, 365. You can always see him at crime scenes. When there's a big bust, he's there. We've even seen him riding around on patrol. There's no task that he hasn't done or won't do. He doesn't just sit behind a desk directing others. He's a rolled-up shirtsleeves chief who isn't afraid of getting his shoes dirty out in the field.
And that's the way he's always been.
Whiteley has been police chief for 17 years. His love affair with law enforcement, however, began long before that.
For about 20 years before he joined PBPD, he was actively involved as a reserve officer. Combatting the area's drug problem was his passion. He didn't just put his time into it. He put his money into it, too. He used his car, paid for the gas and all the other items an officer needs to perform the job. At times he put in more hours than a regular officer. And he never asked for any pay. His reward was the knowledge he made his county safer through his drug intervention.
His untiring work was recognized in 1985 when he was named Missouri's Reserve Officer of the Year.
But his commitment to this community hasn't just been limited to law enforcement. He has served as a city councilman and followed in the footsteps of his father, Mack Whiteley, as a member of the Poplar Bluff school board.
The Top Cop award is satisfying in many ways, but none more so than the knowledge that he earned it through a vote of his peers. It just shows that the dedication and work he has done here has been noticed throughout the state.
Congratulations Chief Whiteley. We've always known you were a "top cop." Now everybody else does too.
Daily American
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