Crime & Safety
Mayor: Duluth Police Chief 'Ahead of Curve'
Duluth's elected leaders pay tribute to Belcher.
Nancy Harris is a lifelong Duluth resident, and so remembers when the city had a "Mayberry-sized" police precinct.
Now Duluth's mayor, Harris lauded Police Chief Randy Belcher on Monday (Jan. 13) as being "ahead of the curve" after 30 years as police chief. The tribute came as part of the January City Council meeting.
Belcher began his career in Duluth in 1976, and became chief in 1984, the youngest chief in the state at that time, according to a city news release.
"It takes a group" to succeed, the chief said of his career.
In a city news release, Duluth Police Lt. Jackie Hood said, “I remember an incident which happened a couple of years ago where a lookout of a stolen cab came out. Chief happened to be in the area and ended up chasing the driver all over the city, until the driver jumped out and ran. Chief jumped out and ran after the driver who was a pretty young kid, tackled him all while rolling down a hill. I don’t think there are a whole lot of chiefs that have been working as long as he has that will still get out there and do that.
"Even as recently as a few months ago, chief jumped out on an accident scene and helped the officers drag a female to safety from a burning car.”
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