Herb Cooley: The Law Enforcement Legacy of My Father

Book excerpt: A legendary figure in Virginia and North Carolina law enforcement for the past fifty years, Herb Cooley has achieved the highest laurels awarded to a police officer. A native of rural Grayson County, he enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard and went to work for the High Point Police Department, where he was a patrolmen, motorcycle cop and detective. He eventually moved to the Office of the Public Defender, solving high profile cases for the state of North Carolina. He was selected as Chief Deputy of the Wythe County Sheriff's Office in Virginia where, rebuilt the entire department by creating countless drug and traffic safety programs that are still saving lives today. In 1994, Herb achieved the rank ofChief of Police in Pulaski, Virginia, where heinstituted everything from new drug laws to even arevamping of the patrol car design. Herbcompleted his career as Chief of Police in Vinton,Virginia, where he turned a virtually disgraceddepartment into one of the few fully accreditedagencies in the state.