CENTRALIA — The City of Centralia has announced conditional appointment has been offered to a former Fairview Heights police chief to take the helm at the Centralia Police Department.

According to City Manager W. Kory Smith, Christopher Locke will be sworn in as the Police Chief at a later date following Council approval of his appointment. Pending that approval, Locke is expected to start on September 12th.

Locke has served as a Special Agent with the United States Air Force Office of Special Investigations. His education includes a Bachelor’s Degree with an emphasis in Criminal Justice and Sociology. He was also a graduate of Southern Police Institute Administrative Officer’s and Chief Executive Leadership courses.

According to a press release, Locke has served the Fairview Heights Police Department for over 28 years with 16 years as a member of the Command Staff and 4 years as Chief of Police.

His experience includes the role as Deputy Commander of the Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis and also the Emergency Services Disaster Agency Coordinator for the City of Fairview Heights.

Locke has many years of experience with multi-million-dollar budgets, negotiating contracts, human resources, and has implemented recruitment programs for his department.

He also has executed and has been successful with community-oriented policing initiatives and is committed to strong police/community relations. He is a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, Illinois Associations of Chiefs of Police, Southern Illinois Police Chiefs Association, and the American Legion.