News

Public invited to Chief's ceremony

Tuesday, March 09, 2010

Thomas P. Hopkins will formally take the oath of office as Wilson's Police Chief at a ceremony Tuesday, March 23.

The public is invited to the ceremony, which will begin at 4 p.m. at the Charles W. Pittman III Operations Center, 1800 Herring Ave. A reception will follow.

Hopkins, a 15-year veteran of the Wilson Police Department, was named the department’s new Chief in February, replacing Harry Tyson who had been promoted to deputy city manager in January.

A Beddingfield High School graduate, Hopkins joined the Wilson Police Department in 1995 as a Patrol officer. In 1996, he became a Detective in the Vice & Narcotics division. In 1999, he was named the department’s Hiring and Recruitment Coordinator. In 2003, he was promoted to Sergeant and transferred to the Uniformed Patrol division where he supervised a patrol team. In February 2006, he was promoted to Lieutenant and South District commander.

Hopkins serves on the department's Special Response Team and Honor Guard.
Hopkins holds bachelor's degrees in Psychology and Justice Studies from NC Wesleyan College and a master’s degree in Criminology with a concentration in Law from Indiana State University. He is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in Higher Learning and Adult Education from Walden University.

He is a NC general and specialized instructor in physical fitness, firearms, and first responder. He also serves as an adjunct instructor with NC Wesleyan College, Shaw University and Wilson Community College.

Hopkins enjoys riding his motorcycle (“Busa”) on sunny days and spending time with his family. He is a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc. and has worked on numerous fraternity projects, such as tutoring kids after school, the Charles R Drew Blood Drive, the Talent Hunt, and Scholarship Program.

He is married and has three children.