Throughout the month of April, Cherokee County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) is proud to shine a spotlight on the outstanding leaders who work tirelessly to protect and serve our community. Join us as we recognize the dedication, experience, and leadership of public safety professionals across Cherokee County.

Today, we are honored to highlight Centre Police Chief Kirk Blankenship

Chief Blankenship began his years of public service in Cherokee County over 30 years ago as a volunteer firefighter. In 1999, he took on another non-paying public service role as a Reserve for Cedar Bluff Police Department. He quickly realized that law enforcement was his passion. In the year 2000, He graduated from Northeast Alabama Law Enforcement Academy. Chief Blankenship transferred to the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office in 2001 and worked his way up the ranks quickly to the supervisory role of Corporal. He stayed with CCSO until 2011, when he accepted the position of Chief of Police with Centre Police Department.

Chief Blankenship has completed almost 2000 hours of APOST certified training and 25 years’ worth of FBI Firearms Training, additionally he is SWAT certified. Two hundred and forty-three hours went to Chief Blankenship’s graduation of the Certified Law Enforcement Executive Level Program; a specialty program through Jacksonville State University catered to training Alabama Police Chief’s to be exemplary leaders in the department and community. Chief Blankenship was the second Chief in the county to complete this specialized leadership-based training.

Kirk has been married to his beautiful wife Paige since 2007 and together they have 5 children from ages 12-31. He has also been blessed with two beautiful granddaughters.

While it is every officer’s duty to protect and serve his/her community, Chief Blankenship has a passion for enriching our community as well. He also encourages every officer (and civilians) who have worked for him to do the same. Under his leadership Centre Police Department has hosted multiple community Thanksgiving Dinners for those alone on the holidays, collaborated with a local grocery store for food drives, partnered with the American Cancer Society to raise breast cancer awareness, participated in various Christmas toy donation drives, collected donations for food and lodging for refugees from Hurricane Irma in 2017, and partners with the City of Centre for town events such as Centre Fall Festival and Christmas on Main.

Chief Blankenship’s primary objective has always been to be a good role model for the children in our community. He has always led by the belief that the best way to foster outstanding citizens is by starting early interaction and guidance through children.

He has made himself accessible by being involved in several different youth activities. Chief Blankenship has been active in the Boy Scouts of America, established the Centre Police and Fire Department annual Trunk or Treat, visits local schools and daycares regularly for programs, and our local Shop with a Cop event. As a department, we have repainted community basketball courts, co-hosted neighborhood cookouts; we have even made appearances at several children’s birthday parties over the years.

In 2021 when the Blue Angels flew over the City of Centre, Chief Blankenship got in touch with administrators and teachers at Centre Elementary School and made sure that all of the children got an opportunity to go outside see the fly over.

Chief Blankenship’s favorite way to encourage and mentor young men and women is through sports. He has coached youth soccer, baseball and football since 2001. In 2021, his flag football team won the Flag Football Super Bowl sponsored by the NFL and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. He is on the board for Cherokee County Youth Football League, and has been the Defensive Coordinator for CCYFL for the past 3 years. Chief Blankenship works closely with the High School Football Coach and has helped escort our local football team through a city-wide parade on their way to the AHSAA State Championship Game. He can usually be found on Friday nights working the chains on the sidelines during football season. It is also just as common to hear him being referred to as “Coach Kirk” as it is “Chief.” Honestly, I think he likes Coach Kirk best.

Cherokee County and the City of Centre have truly been fortunate to have Chief Blankenship serving our area for the past 30 years. He has had many roles and worn many hats in his pursuit of making the world a better and safer place. Chief Blankenship is planning his retirement from law enforcement in 2025. His retirement as Chief of Police will be felt by many. However, Chief Blankenship leaves a strong department and a legacy of safety, empathy, transparency and community-lead policing. I have no doubts that he will invest that much more time in making a difference in the lives of our citizens in his unofficial capacity as “Coach Kirk.”

Chief Blankenship stated that “It has been a true honor to serve the citizens of the City of Centre and Cherokee County.”