Obituary: Police Chief Barnes led West Palm Beach police department for two decades
Monday, February 09, 2009
WEST PALM BEACH — William "Bill" Barnes, who founded the police academy in Palm Beach County and transformed the West Palm Beach Police Department into a modern police force during his two decades as chief, died of cancer Sunday.
He was 87.
Mr. Barnes, the city's last elected chief, served from 1960 to 1980, and came out of retirement in 1984 when he was asked to lead the department through a difficult period. During his tenure, the police department was widely regarded as one of the most innovative and professional in Florida.
"He was the type of guy that if you had 15 police chiefs in a room, when he spoke, everybody listened," said Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw, who was hired by Barnes at the department. "He was just that type of charismatic, absolutely dominating figure."
Mr. Barnes, who moved to West Palm Beach with his family as a young child, loved animals and originally wanted to be a veterinarian. He earned a B.A. from Florida Southern University but later left veterinary school for financial reasons. Instead, he joined the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office.
After serving the Army and Air Force in World War II and Korea, he returned to law enforcement and worked his way up to chief detective of the West Palm Beach Police Department.
He was first elected to chief in 1960, and was re-elected four times.
Mr. Barnes was one of only a few police chiefs in Florida with a college degree,and strongly believed in the importance of professional training. He became the first local chief to establish a police academy for new recruits, and the West Palm Beach curriculum became the basis of the current program at Palm Beach Community College.
Mr. Barnes preferred to hire officers with good brains than imposing stature, and embraced innovations like vice squads and SWAT teams long before other departments. He was also a stickler for savings - he said that he never got his budget cut, because he didn't ask for more money than he needed.
Everywhere Mr. Barnes went, he commanded respect, said M.F. Mann Jr., who was hired by Mr. Barnes at age 21 and is now deputy sheriff in Martin County.
"He knew what he was talking about," Mann said. "They respected him for his knowledge, his integrity, his forthcomingness."
Most people in Palm Beach County knew Mr. Barnes simply as "The Chief." But to his four godchildren, who include former state legislator Sharon Merchant, he was "Rindy." Merchant inadvertently gave him the name as a little girl, when she tried to call him "Granddaddy."
Mr. Barnes and his wife, Olive "Sally" Barnes, couldn't have kids of their own, so they loved to spend time with the Merchants, who were close family friends.
"He was Santa Claus, he was the Easter Bunny ... he was doting and adoring and thought we were perfect," Merchant said. "To us, he was just a marshmallow."
As a child, Merchant said, she could never lie to Mr. Barnes when he asked whether she had been good.
"He seemed to know everything," Merchant said. "I thought that he was psychic."
A visitation for friends and family will be held from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Quattlebaum Funeral Home in West Palm Beach. The memorial service will be 11 a.m. Friday at Quattlebaum Funeral Home, followed by a military and police ceremony at Hillcrest Memorial Park.
Monday, February 09, 2009
WEST PALM BEACH — William "Bill" Barnes, who founded the police academy in Palm Beach County and transformed the West Palm Beach Police Department into a modern police force during his two decades as chief, died of cancer Sunday.
He was 87.
Mr. Barnes, the city's last elected chief, served from 1960 to 1980, and came out of retirement in 1984 when he was asked to lead the department through a difficult period. During his tenure, the police department was widely regarded as one of the most innovative and professional in Florida.
"He was the type of guy that if you had 15 police chiefs in a room, when he spoke, everybody listened," said Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw, who was hired by Barnes at the department. "He was just that type of charismatic, absolutely dominating figure."
Mr. Barnes, who moved to West Palm Beach with his family as a young child, loved animals and originally wanted to be a veterinarian. He earned a B.A. from Florida Southern University but later left veterinary school for financial reasons. Instead, he joined the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office.
After serving the Army and Air Force in World War II and Korea, he returned to law enforcement and worked his way up to chief detective of the West Palm Beach Police Department.
He was first elected to chief in 1960, and was re-elected four times.
Mr. Barnes was one of only a few police chiefs in Florida with a college degree,and strongly believed in the importance of professional training. He became the first local chief to establish a police academy for new recruits, and the West Palm Beach curriculum became the basis of the current program at Palm Beach Community College.
Mr. Barnes preferred to hire officers with good brains than imposing stature, and embraced innovations like vice squads and SWAT teams long before other departments. He was also a stickler for savings - he said that he never got his budget cut, because he didn't ask for more money than he needed.
Everywhere Mr. Barnes went, he commanded respect, said M.F. Mann Jr., who was hired by Mr. Barnes at age 21 and is now deputy sheriff in Martin County.
"He knew what he was talking about," Mann said. "They respected him for his knowledge, his integrity, his forthcomingness."
Most people in Palm Beach County knew Mr. Barnes simply as "The Chief." But to his four godchildren, who include former state legislator Sharon Merchant, he was "Rindy." Merchant inadvertently gave him the name as a little girl, when she tried to call him "Granddaddy."
Mr. Barnes and his wife, Olive "Sally" Barnes, couldn't have kids of their own, so they loved to spend time with the Merchants, who were close family friends.
"He was Santa Claus, he was the Easter Bunny ... he was doting and adoring and thought we were perfect," Merchant said. "To us, he was just a marshmallow."
As a child, Merchant said, she could never lie to Mr. Barnes when he asked whether she had been good.
"He seemed to know everything," Merchant said. "I thought that he was psychic."
A visitation for friends and family will be held from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Quattlebaum Funeral Home in West Palm Beach. The memorial service will be 11 a.m. Friday at Quattlebaum Funeral Home, followed by a military and police ceremony at Hillcrest Memorial Park.
Obituary: Police Chief Barnes led West Palm Beach police department for two decades
Monday, February 09, 2009
WEST PALM BEACH — William "Bill" Barnes, who founded the police academy in Palm Beach County and transformed the West Palm Beach Police Department into a modern police force during his two decades as chief, died of cancer Sunday.
He was 87.
Mr. Barnes, the city's last elected chief, served from 1960 to 1980, and came out of retirement in 1984 when he was asked to lead the department through a difficult period. During his tenure, the police department was widely regarded as one of the most innovative and professional in Florida.
"He was the type of guy that if you had 15 police chiefs in a room, when he spoke, everybody listened," said Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw, who was hired by Barnes at the department. "He was just that type of charismatic, absolutely dominating figure."
Mr. Barnes, who moved to West Palm Beach with his family as a young child, loved animals and originally wanted to be a veterinarian. He earned a B.A. from Florida Southern University but later left veterinary school for financial reasons. Instead, he joined the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office.
After serving the Army and Air Force in World War II and Korea, he returned to law enforcement and worked his way up to chief detective of the West Palm Beach Police Department.
He was first elected to chief in 1960, and was re-elected four times.
Mr. Barnes was one of only a few police chiefs in Florida with a college degree,and strongly believed in the importance of professional training. He became the first local chief to establish a police academy for new recruits, and the West Palm Beach curriculum became the basis of the current program at Palm Beach Community College.
Mr. Barnes preferred to hire officers with good brains than imposing stature, and embraced innovations like vice squads and SWAT teams long before other departments. He was also a stickler for savings - he said that he never got his budget cut, because he didn't ask for more money than he needed.
Everywhere Mr. Barnes went, he commanded respect, said M.F. Mann Jr., who was hired by Mr. Barnes at age 21 and is now deputy sheriff in Martin County.
"He knew what he was talking about," Mann said. "They respected him for his knowledge, his integrity, his forthcomingness."
Most people in Palm Beach County knew Mr. Barnes simply as "The Chief." But to his four godchildren, who include former state legislator Sharon Merchant, he was "Rindy." Merchant inadvertently gave him the name as a little girl, when she tried to call him "Granddaddy."
Mr. Barnes and his wife, Olive "Sally" Barnes, couldn't have kids of their own, so they loved to spend time with the Merchants, who were close family friends.
"He was Santa Claus, he was the Easter Bunny ... he was doting and adoring and thought we were perfect," Merchant said. "To us, he was just a marshmallow."
As a child, Merchant said, she could never lie to Mr. Barnes when he asked whether she had been good.
"He seemed to know everything," Merchant said. "I thought that he was psychic."
A visitation for friends and family will be held from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Quattlebaum Funeral Home in West Palm Beach. The memorial service will be 11 a.m. Friday at Quattlebaum Funeral Home, followed by a military and police ceremony at Hillcrest Memorial Park.
Monday, February 09, 2009
WEST PALM BEACH — William "Bill" Barnes, who founded the police academy in Palm Beach County and transformed the West Palm Beach Police Department into a modern police force during his two decades as chief, died of cancer Sunday.
He was 87.
Mr. Barnes, the city's last elected chief, served from 1960 to 1980, and came out of retirement in 1984 when he was asked to lead the department through a difficult period. During his tenure, the police department was widely regarded as one of the most innovative and professional in Florida.
"He was the type of guy that if you had 15 police chiefs in a room, when he spoke, everybody listened," said Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw, who was hired by Barnes at the department. "He was just that type of charismatic, absolutely dominating figure."
Mr. Barnes, who moved to West Palm Beach with his family as a young child, loved animals and originally wanted to be a veterinarian. He earned a B.A. from Florida Southern University but later left veterinary school for financial reasons. Instead, he joined the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office.
After serving the Army and Air Force in World War II and Korea, he returned to law enforcement and worked his way up to chief detective of the West Palm Beach Police Department.
He was first elected to chief in 1960, and was re-elected four times.
Mr. Barnes was one of only a few police chiefs in Florida with a college degree,and strongly believed in the importance of professional training. He became the first local chief to establish a police academy for new recruits, and the West Palm Beach curriculum became the basis of the current program at Palm Beach Community College.
Mr. Barnes preferred to hire officers with good brains than imposing stature, and embraced innovations like vice squads and SWAT teams long before other departments. He was also a stickler for savings - he said that he never got his budget cut, because he didn't ask for more money than he needed.
Everywhere Mr. Barnes went, he commanded respect, said M.F. Mann Jr., who was hired by Mr. Barnes at age 21 and is now deputy sheriff in Martin County.
"He knew what he was talking about," Mann said. "They respected him for his knowledge, his integrity, his forthcomingness."
Most people in Palm Beach County knew Mr. Barnes simply as "The Chief." But to his four godchildren, who include former state legislator Sharon Merchant, he was "Rindy." Merchant inadvertently gave him the name as a little girl, when she tried to call him "Granddaddy."
Mr. Barnes and his wife, Olive "Sally" Barnes, couldn't have kids of their own, so they loved to spend time with the Merchants, who were close family friends.
"He was Santa Claus, he was the Easter Bunny ... he was doting and adoring and thought we were perfect," Merchant said. "To us, he was just a marshmallow."
As a child, Merchant said, she could never lie to Mr. Barnes when he asked whether she had been good.
"He seemed to know everything," Merchant said. "I thought that he was psychic."
A visitation for friends and family will be held from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Quattlebaum Funeral Home in West Palm Beach. The memorial service will be 11 a.m. Friday at Quattlebaum Funeral Home, followed by a military and police ceremony at Hillcrest Memorial Park.
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