Garner Police Chief to retire due to 'personal health issues' after one year in role

News & Observer - 8/30/2021

Aug. 30—Garner Police Chief Joe Binns, who has served in the town's police department for nearly three decades, will retire in October due to "personal health issues."

Binns was made interim chief in 2019, with his role becoming permanent in October 2020. He had previously served as operations bureau captain.

The town announced his Oct. 1 retirement in a news release Monday morning.

"I have been honored to have been able to serve Garner for over 28 years," Binns said in the release. "Unfortunately, I need to focus on some personal health issues but am grateful to have served the town and its residents over a full career."

The town pointed to his fight against the opioid epidemic and his efforts to build relationships with the community as key accomplishments of his tenure.

The department-wide deployment of NARCAN, a medication used to treat opioid overdoses, has saved at least 22 lives, the town said.

In the release, Town Manager Rodney Dickerson said Binns' "common-sense approach, combined with nearly 30 years of experience, served this community well and served me well."

Dickerson will name an interim chief and begin the search for a new chief soon.

The News & Observer has reached out to Garner officials for more details about the search process.

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