Germantown swears in new police chief

Germantown City Manager Judy Gilleland swears in Matt Burns as the city's new police chief Monday, April 22, 2024. CONTRIBUTED

Germantown City Manager Judy Gilleland swears in Matt Burns as the city's new police chief Monday, April 22, 2024. CONTRIBUTED

The new police chief in Germantown worked his way up through the ranks.

Matt Burns, who was officially sworn in Monday, joined the Germantown Police Department in 1988 as a patrolman and most recently served as deputy chief/major.

“Chief Burns has played an integral role in creating the culture of effective and ethical policing that exists in our department today. His leadership and guidance are sure to foster positive outcomes in not only the police department, but the city as a whole,” said Judy Gilleland, city manager.

With more than 30 years serving the community, Burns has a wealth of knowledge and experience that will benefit officers; however, he stressed that it is important to empower them. He said he plans to implement additional training and to meet with officers individually to discuss their career goals and how they can work to achieve them.

“We have great people working for our department who are dedicated to being good officers,” Burns said. “We are fortunate to serve in a city that is supportive and within a local government that is top-notch. I would like to thank the city council and administration for their confidence and belief in me in this new role.”