Office of the Chief

Chief Anthony W. Rudolph brings more than 31 years of law enforcement experience to the Atoka Police Department (APD). He has served APD and the Town of Atoka community since February 2021. Chief Rudolph is an advocate for community-based policing, back to the basics style policing, and implementing a wide range of strategies to reduce violent crime. By focusing on mitigating group-related violence, identifying repeat offenders to directly address crime in specific neighborhoods, and concentrating on areas with drug activity, Chief Rudolph leads APD to work aggressively towards increased public safety.

Chief Rudolph believes in 21^st Century policing which includes implementing new technologies, relying on high-quality intelligence, and working with federal partners to make neighborhoods safer. His goals include balancing public safety with providing a sustainable culture of equitable treatment of everyone by APD. During his time in Atoka, Chief Rudolph has continuously worked to build positive relationships between APD and the people who live and work in the Tipton County region.

Chief Rudolph has had an expansive career in law enforcement. Prior to serving in Atoka, he served as Colonel for the Memphis Police Department. During his time as Colonel for the Memphis Police Department, the city experienced a reduction in violent crime, a reduction in crimes against the quality of life, and a marked increase in illegal gun seizures…which garnered the attention of the Attorney General of the United States.

Over the course of his career, Chief Rudolph has worked a wide span of assignments, including plainclothes work (narcotics and vice), investigating major crimes, administrative roles in Fiscal Affairs, and overseeing the Memphis Police Department’s Training Facility earning the designation as a Regional Training Academy from the Tennessee POST Commission. In that role, he focused on advancing the department’s technological platform, overseeing a multi-million-dollar budget, managing the multi-facets of training, the recruitment / retention process, and overseeing the patrol division in the southeastern portion of the City.

Chief Rudolph recognizes the critical nature of engaging community members and including them in decision-making. In Memphis, he worked with the business community through a Business Watch program to build community within the business community, Re-engaged the community with a Citizen’s Police Academy and Neighborhood Watch, performed community outreach to the homeless community by serving as a unit in a downtown area soup kitchen, worked with the community on several boards for internal review with police involved traffic crashes and use of force.

Additionally, Chief Rudolph and the Memphis Police Department partnered with the Memphis Shelby County School system to identify those schools that lacked the basic equipment to offer physical education. Under Chief Rudolph’s command, funds were raised, resources and services were donated for young people allowing them to focus on their education, health, life goals, and building positive relationships with police. Also, the department operated a robust Police Athletic League designed to provide a haven for at-risk youth which the Training Academy became heavily involved.

Every day the economic outlook for the Town of Atoka is changing in a positive way. The Town of Atoka has become the fastest growing and largest city in Tipton County. Chief Rudolph is working hard for similar programming in Atoka and as we grow, you can expect to see “our” community tangibly represent our commitment to the fact that, together, we can accomplish any noble undertaking to build community, reduce crime, and improve our quality of life for all who live, work, and play here.

Chief Rudolph has been actively involved in numerous professional organizations, to include currently being a member of International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), Tennessee Association of Chiefs of Police (TACP), Memphis Metro Association of Chiefs of Police (MMACP), graduate of the 253^rd Session of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s National Academy, serving on the Board of Directors for the 25^th Judicial Drug Task Force, and Board member for the Law Enforcement Advisory Committee for Dyersburg State Community College.

Chief Rudolph continues to prioritize strengthening police-community relations and affording APD employees the leadership necessary to continue experiencing a sense of pride in their agency.