Greensboro's Deputy Chief Holder Retiring

Greensboro's Deputy Police Chief Anita Holder is retiring effective August 31^st.

Holder has been with the department for almost 30 years.

She became the interim chief in September of last year when Ken Miller left to become chief in Greensville, South Carolina.

Holder was the first woman to lead the Greensboro Police Department, holding down the fort until Wayne Scott took over in March.

Holder spoke about about her tenure and her retirement in an interview with WFDD's Neal Charnoff. 

She served in almost every capacity within the department, but she says her favorite role was that of Patrol Officer. 

"You're outdoors every day," she says. "You're engaged with the public. It's a very independent type of work, but yet you're relying on your co-workers for help."

Holder says that being a woman on the Greensboro Police Chief was never an issue,  saying her male co-workers don't care about gender.

"They care about whether you can accomplish the job...whether you can be there to support them, whether you will back them up when they need it."

Holder says she learned important lessons during her time as Interim Police Chief.

"The Police Chief has political pressures from all different sides of the community," says Holder, "and that's an important balancing act. It's something that every police chief has to get their head around and do well."

Holder believes the Greensboro Police Department is faring better than other departments when it comes to race relations and community engagement. But she admits that work still need to be done.

"We have a handful of active community members who will step up and take charge of their neighborhoods, and say 'I'm responsible here, and the police department is here to support me,'"  she says. "We have that in pockets of the city, but it's not widespread."