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A Morristown native was named the next Police Chief of the Clarksville Police Department on Tuesday.

Deputy Chief of Operations Charles Tyson “Ty” Burdine came before the Clarksville City Council during a special session after being selected by Clarksville Mayor Joe Pitts to be the new Chief of Police. The council voted unanimously to approve Burdine’s appointment on a 9-0 vote. Pitts, and aldermen Brian Zacharias, Deanna McLaughlin, Carlos Peters, Jerry Haywood, Jimmy Brown, Stacey Streetman, Joe Shakeenab and Keri Lovato voting in favor.

Burdine will replace current Chief David Crockarell as he is retiring from the force. Burdine will take the oath at Chief of Police on Friday.

Burdine spoke about his early days in the Lakeway Area.

“My late father Arlan “Butch” Burdine and my mother (living in Jefferson County) were longtime Morristown residents,” Burdine said. “I grew up on the east end of Morristown and I think that I rode my bike as a kid on almost every road in Morristown. There are so many people from Morristown that had an impact on my life and I will never forget how many Russellville Elementary, East Ridge Middle School and Morristown East teachers and coaches influenced my life.

“It was at East Ridge that me and my best friend Jason Herman decided that we were going to be police officers one day,” Burdine said. “After high school, I attended Walters State Community College and then attended the police academy at Walters State. At the time, police jobs were not as prevalent as they are now so me and my friend Jason Herman accepted jobs in the growing city of Clarksville. I could have cared less of my salary and I think I joined the department with a salary of $18,000 a year. I wanted to help and serve from an early age and for me to be a police officer, money had no bearing on my career choice.”

Burdine expressed pride after 27 years on the force and is proud of the men and women who serve with him at CPD.

“I am proud to be a cop 27 years later and proud of the men and women who serve with me at the Clarksville Police Department. I honestly never had it as a goal to be a Chief and never desired more power, but I did want more purpose and through each rank I found that the higher you climb, the more impact you can have,” he said. “I care deeply about the reputation of this profession and want nothing more than to lead an agency that is trusted by the community and is legitimate in the eyes of the citizens we serve and we obtain this by professionalism, empathy, and being accountable for our actions.”

In a release from the CPD, Pitts praised the new chief.

“Strength of character, vision, and integrity are all non-negotiable traits our City needs in the new Chief of Police,” Mayor Pitts said. “Chief Ty Burdine has all three, and more.

“The women and men of the department, and those who will come after, deserve a leader who understands the department and their needs. Again, Chief Burdine is more than ready to assume command of the department and lead us into the next season of growth.

“He and his wife, Lesley, and their daughter, Lucy Jo, are invaluable members of the City family. We look forward to serving with Chief Burdine and welcome him as the 18th Chief of Police for the City of Clarksville,” Pitts said.

Burdine was understandably pleased on his selection.

“I am humbled and honored to have been selected as the next Chief of Police.” Burdine said, “I am excited to continue to build upon the legacy of exceptional leadership of Chief David Crockarell and former Chief Al Ansley.”

Burdine began his 27-year tenure with the Clarksville Police Department as a Patrol Officer, in July 1997, after completion of his Associate’s Degree in Criminal Justice from Walters State Community College in Morristown, and its Regional Law Enforcement Training Academy.

He was promoted to Criminal Investigator in September 2001, where he served until 2007. During that time, he was selected as a member of the Tactical Unit in which he served as an Operator, Marksman, and Team Leader, until being appointed Commander of the Unit, leading it from September 2009 – October 2011. During his time with the Tactical Unit, he was promoted to Patrol Sergeant in October 2007.

He was later appointed as Sergeant of the Professional Integrity Unit in January 2010, then to District Lieutenant in July 2013, and later, to Captain in June 2017 while he served as a District Captain and Captain of the Professional Integrity Unit. During this time, he completed the esteemed and intensive Northwestern School of Police Staff and Command.

Burdine became Deputy Chief of Police Operations in July 2020 while completing the prestigious Federal Bureau of Investigation National Academy for Law Enforcement Leadership, and earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice Administration from Columbia Southern University.

Since moving to Clarksville from his hometown of Morristown in 1997 to join CPD, he has demonstrated a passion for serving others and teaching younger generations in Clarksville to do the same.

Outside of his work with the department, Chief Burdine actively serves as a volunteer youth leader at Hilldale Baptist Church where he and his family are members. Beyond serving in and with his church family, he has consistently served the Clarksville community as a soccer and basketball coach, volunteer, guest speaker, and mentor. He has proudly coached the 2011 Maroon Girls Team for the Clarksville Soccer Club for several years.

He has been married to his wife, Lesley Burdine, for 21 years. She is a longtime teacher at Rossview Middle School. The Burdines have a daughter, Lucy Jo. Burdine said he looks forward to building on the progress made at CPD over the past 20 years.

“This progress was no accident. Rather, it is a result of our leadership’s consistent dedication to continuous growth and improvement through prioritizing quality staffing, integrity, fairness, accountability, and professionalism, which has helped improve the culture of our department and enabled us to earn trust, improve relations, and build partnerships in our community, which helps us better serve and protect it,” Burdine said.

Deeply committed to the Clarksville community, CPD, and all of its members, Burdine said he wants to lead an agency “that our employees and their families are proud to be part of.

“We will continue to commit to, and prioritize community engagement, officer wellness, youth outreach and proactive policing to build safer neighborhoods, safer roadways and provide support for those who need it most,” he said.