Rising through the ranks

Eric Rush was named the police chief for the city of Trussville on Sept. 11, 2018, the city’s third chief in less than a year. 

The significance of the day wasn’t lost on Rush, but it just happened to be the day of the scheduled council meeting. 

“I didn’t know if it was good or bad, but one way I’ll never forget it was the day that I made police chief of Trussville, but also never forget what happened on 9/11,” Rush said. 

Longtime Chief Don Sively retired in October 2017 after 40 years with the department and almost 20 as chief. Jeff Bridges then took over as chief, after 26 years with the department. When Bridges unexpectedly retired nine months later on July 1, Rush was named interim chief. 

“I was the captain, so I would have been next in line,” Rush said. “However, it caught us all off-guard, and nobody expected it, but it has worked out.”

Rush then received the promotion from captain to chief two months later. He began his career at the Trussville PD in 1996 and has moved up in the ranks over the past 22 years. 

He started out as a patrolman and was made detective in 2003. Rush worked criminal investigation for three years before becoming a field training officer and heading the training program for new recruits. He moved back to patrol and was promoted to sergeant over the motorcycle unit in 2006, before being promoted to patrol lieutenant in 2013. 

He commanded the patrol division, the largest in the department, for four years until being named captain.

Of all his previous positions, Rush said that motor scout was his favorite, especially since motorcycle riding was a hobby of his. 

“It was like a dream,” he said. “It was also the area I worked the most. As far as the job itself and the amount of work we put in, I was always doing something.” 

Rush said the benefit to all his experience is that he isn’t asking his officers to do anything that he hasn’t done before. 

“I’ve directed traffic in the rain, worked wrecks, gone on domestic calls,” he said, “I’ve worked in every division and have a little experience in everything. It makes me more well-rounded. Once you do it for yourself, you have more of a grasp on it.”

Trussville has experienced tremendous growth during Rush’s time in the department and now has a population above 21,000. Fifteen people have been hired within the last two years, as they continue to catch up to meet the growing needs of the city. The Trussville Police Department currently has 62 sworn officers and a total of 77 employees. 

“The main issue is keeping the department at the point to where it’s staffed where we can provide our citizens the quality of service they expect and deserve,” Rush said. “That can be a challenge sometimes, but luckily we have a mayor and council that are very supportive of public safety and we are fortunate in that regard. We have a great department now, but want it to be the best in the metro area of Birmingham.”

Rush said the two things they receive the most calls about are shoplifting and domestic violence. He believes there is a direct link between shoplifting and drug addiction. Their rate of domestic violence calls is also high compared to other cities similar in size. 

“That type of crime is hard to stop because you’ve got emotions involved,” he said. “It’s more of a passionate crime, and people act before they think. It’s one of the most dangerous calls you can go on because of emotions involved.” 

Rush said some of his future plans are to expand the traffic unit and create a specialized enforcement unit to work in conjunction with the city’s new entertainment district. 

“Traffic is always an issue in Trussville and the roads haven’t kept up with the growth,” he said. “I want to continue to make people feel safe, and the specialized unit would work there and in other areas of city.”

Rush has been married to his wife for 23 years, and their two daughters are students in the Trussville school system. 

“I just love the people here,” he said. “When I started working here, I had only been to Trussville twice, but I could tell it was an up and coming city that was getting ready to do great things. I didn’t know anyone when I started, and everyone took me in. The city has grown, but still has that small-town feel.”