"This opportunity presented itself and just the more I looked at it the more I felt it was a great opportunity and it just felt like the timing was right."

Boehm says he's enjoyed his years with the Columbia police department and is very proud of the organization.

"I think the officers and the staff do a great job in the community obviously one of my jobs as the chief is to make sure they have the officers and the equipment to do their job and during my eight years as chief due to the support of the city manager and the council we have added 30 officers to the department so I feel very good about that. But more than anything I just feel really good about the great job our officers do of serving this community."

Boehm's last day with the department will be July first. He says in the meantime he'll work with the city manager to select an interim chief from the command staff and get that person trained. The city manager will coordinate the process for a permanent replacement. © Copyright 2012, KBIA