Courtesy Photo Alpena Police Chief Eric Hamp stands next to an Alpena Police Department car in this photo provided by APD.

ALPENA — After nearly two decades in law enforcement, all of it spent in his home town of Alpena, Eric Hamp last week stepped into a new leadership role at the Alpena Police Department.

After eight years as second in command, most of it spent learning the leadership ropes with the expectation of someday transitioning to chief, Hamp called himself ready and “super excited” to take over the reins from retired chief Joel Jett.

Since joining the APD crew fresh out of the Michigan Police Corps in 2003, Hamp has served as road patrol officer, road supervisor, and, most recently, lieutenant, a role he said prepared him for leadership of one of few dedicated police agencies in Michigan that provide 24/7 service to their communities.

His two high schooler sons tell him they’re proud of their police-chief dad, who used to coach their numerous sports teams until they outgrew his sports knowledge, Hamp said.

Family life and involvement in aspects of the community outside his police role keep him busy, but they’re crucial to a healthy balance and a strong connection to the town he serves, he said.

With police departments unable to provide the same pensions and other benefits of years past, the occupation has become more transient, with many officers serving short terms before moving on to another community.

Such quick transitions don’t leave time for officers to truly commit to the people they serve, the long-time Alpena officer said.

“Building relationships matters,” he said. “Really, that’s what it’s all about, right?”

In his 19 years at APD, Hamp has seen some crime trends stay the same.

Officers will always stop speeders, always respond to calls about assaults and reports of theft, he said.

The advent of technological advances means change to both crime levels and police response to it, however.

When he started patrolling Alpena roads, officers used VHS tapes for their in-car video. Now, video files fly instantly to the cloud, saved for nearly instant view.

Car cameras and the body cams the APD expects to implement soon mean officers have a way to defend themselves when accused of inappropriate behavior and Hamp has a way to make sure his officers fix any poor handling of incidents.

Cell phones and other devices offer new ways to commit crimes, but they also give police new ways to solve them, providing mounds of information police can use in their investigations.

Smaller police agencies like APD — a far cry from the multifaceted, staff-heavy departments in metropolitan areas — produce well-rounded officers as they take on all aspects of crime, from traffic stops to investigations of sex assaults and other serious crimes, the new chief said.

Police get frustrated, he said, when the media and the public demand the instant information to which they are accustomed from a nonstop news cycle online.

“Not everything in our job is instant,” he said. “We don’t solve crimes like in the movies, in 10 minutes.”

While he believes firmly in police transparency, Hamp said, he and his officers, like other police, have to walk a fine line to provide what information they can without misleading the public and while not tipping off suspects or releasing crucial information prematurely.

As chief, he knows he’ll need to keep current on trends locally and elsewhere, staying one step ahead to know, for example, when new drug trends arrive so his officers know what to look for and how to stay safe around dangerous substances.

He’ll need to continue his officers’ education in detecting drugged driving, a more difficult task than spotting — or smelling — drunk drivers, but crucial as police see more drug intoxication behind the wheel.

Officers will need to become increasingly tech-savvy, always learning about the electronic tools that can help them solve and stop crime.

Residents can help police take care of them by taking simple steps, he said.

Lock cars. Lock houses. Lock up valuables, and don’t make yourself a target, the chief advised, hoping people not only hear the advice but follow it.

“We’re here to work together with our community,” Hamp said. “It’s not us versus them. I look at it as, we’re a team.”