Evatt announces MVPD retirement days after Hubert

Mt. Vernon Assistant chief of police Ed Evatt has officially retired. This news comes just days after Chief of Police Dave Hubert’s retirement was announced by 911 dispatch in an end-of-watch broadcast.
 
Evatt has given more than 17 years of his professional life to the Mt. Vernon Police Department.
 
Evatt will leave more than a decade and a half in service of Mt. Vernon to pursue a new career, but one that he has a little experience in.
 
In an interview with the Record, Evatt announced that, on Aug. 18, he will start his new role as a school resource officer for Springfield Public Schools. Evatt had previously served as an SRO for Mt. Vernon, originally filling in for another officer; the experience inspired him to further his work to aid children.
 
“Being in school, you’re going to see them eight hours a day, five days a week, and you have a chance to really make an impact on them,” said Evatt. “Working [as a patrol officer], you might see [the kids], you might not.”
 
With the change in profession, Evatt is looking for a job that’s a little less demanding but still fulfilling.
 
“I’ve enjoyed, you know, in the summertime when [the kids] don’t have school, finding kids out playing basketball and stopping to shoot hoops, throwing a baseball or football around; I mean, I’m just human,” said Evatt.
 
Evatt’s retirement announcement came not long after Hubert’s name rang out on a 911 dispatch broadcast. The broadcast thanked Hubert for his service and announced the end of his watch.
 
Evatt said that this was a coincidence, as he had planned to switch careers in June. The reason for Hubert’s retirement has not been made clear as multiple requests for comment to local officials went unanswered. Evatt stated that he does not know why the chief retired.
 
Even if he had known the job would be open in advance, Evatt said that he didn’t want to take up the job as chief of police in Mt. Vernon.
 
“I’m moving on to something that I'm really passionate about,” said Evatt. “I was really passionate about it when I was in Mt. Vernon for the six years I was there.”
 
Despite his eagerness for a new position at SPS, Evatt remembers his time serving in Mt. Vernon fondly, especially as a Taser instructor for new officers.
 
“The people that had not been Taser certified, they had to be tased,” joked Evatt. “That was one of the fun parts of the job.”
 
Jokes aside, Evatt stated that he enjoyed his time as a patrol officer even with its high degree of difficulty.
 
“The good outweighs the bad,” said Evatt. “Just the fact of the impact you have with the community, just being out there and building rapport with them.”
 
With the retirement of both Evatt and Hubert, the Mt. Vernon Police Department will have its two highest positions open. While the city decides on a successor for Hubert and Evatt, the assistant chief said the officers remaining have the skills to lead in the meantime.
 
Evatt does not yet know where he will be sent within the SPS ecosystem, but he said wherever he goes, he will be happy.