Cathedral City’s former police chief is back and plans to make changes

“I am back at work again nothing has changed," said George Crum.

George Crum smiles as he makes a comeback again as Cathedral City’s Chief of Police after retiring from the department in 2017.  A decision he said was an easy one. 

“I said of course I will come back and do what I can to help the city out and it wasn’t a very long conversation and it didn’t take alot of thought on my side at all," said Crum.

Crum has been part the department's interim chief since February following the resignation of deputy and acting police chief Anthony Yoakum, who took a position with the City of Beaumont. 

Yoakum had also been filling the position temporarily since last year due to former Chief Travis Walker, who was placed on paid administrative leave last May, amid sexual harassment claims.

Walker and the department reached a mutual separation agreement in November but Crum says since his return the department now has:

“Direction and strong leadership," said Crum. "I believe we have come to that with the decision between myself and the city that I do reinstate from retirement and we can help move the agency forward and history is history.”

According to Chief Crum, it was a smooth transition moving back to his former position now permanently and plans to make few changes as he leads his department forward.

“We need to have our own gang unit internally that pays attention to our city and get our officers back on the motorcycle that's something our motorists need to see and have that type of visibility out there," said Crum.  

And we asked him one last thing: do you plan on retiring anytime soon? 

"I do not," said Crum.