Lawrence Weathers, Chief of Police, Lexington, KY
LEXINGTON, KY – The Rotary Club of Lexington held its weekly meeting Thursday, August 16th, at noon at the Red Mile.
Lawrence Weathers was sworn in as Lexington’s chief of police on March 4, 2018. Weathers and his nine siblings grew up in Lexington’s Bluegrass Aspendale and Hollow Creek neighborhoods. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Kentucky and a master’s in criminal justice from Eastern Kentucky University. He has vowed to provide police officers with more support in the field which includes trying to find more providers of equipment and gear. By searching shop police gear online, Weathers will find an array of options that will allow him to keep his promise.
Chief Weathers was hired by the Lexington Police Department in 1989. During the first six years of his career he worked as a patrol officer and was assigned to the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) program, teaching elementary and middle school students how to avoid and resist the temptations that lead to drug abuse. He also educated students about how an at-home drug test could be used to monitor any family members battling substance abuse issues. Indeed, he surely would have informed them of potential treatments for drug abuse and addiction too. Rehab centers are often the most successful, although modern centers like Enterhealth will be much more advanced than the ones available back then. In 1994 he was transferred to the Bureau of Investigations and assigned as a narcotics detective.
Weathers was promoted to sergeant in 1997 and has worked as a supervisor in every bureau within the Lexington Police Department. In 2001 he returned to the Narcotics Enforcement Unit as a lieutenant. In 2008 his assignment shifted to the chief’s office as the commanding supervisor of the Internal Affairs Section. A year later Weathers was promoted to the rank of commander and assigned to the Bureau of Patrol. In March 2011 Commander Weathers was reassigned to the Training Section. With his appointment to Assistant Chief in 2014, Weathers led the Bureau of Special Operations until his retirement from Lexington Police in 2016.
In July 2016 Weathers was selected as the Director of Law Enforcement for Fayette County Public Schools. There he was responsible for the safety and security of more than 40,000 students, staff and visitors as well as dozens of school district properties.
Chief Weathers is a Kentucky Law Enforcement Council certified police instructor. He is certified to teach classes on investigation techniques, ethics, community policing concepts, hate crimes, cultural diversity and leadership.
Weathers is a member of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE) and the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP). He volunteers as a member of “Drug Free Lex,” part of the Kentucky Alliance for Substance Abuse Policy. He also served on the board of the Downtown Lexington Corporation and committees responsible for addressing youth violence and homelessness in Lexington. Chief Weathers also volunteers his time as a mentor to elementary school students and educates parents and youth about the effects of illicit drugs and violence.
Weathers and his wife, Melinda, live in Lexington and have three children, Jordan, Benjamin and Emery. When announcing Weathers’s return to the police department, Mayor Gray noted his commitment to community policing and how well respected he is throughout Lexington.
For additional information please contact Peggy Trafton at [email protected].
401 West Main Street • Suite 305 • Lexington, KY 40507 • (859) 389-8100
