Concord police chief retires after three decades

CONCORD — The Concord Police Chief announced Friday that he will be retiring after 33 years in law enforcement.

Chief Gary Gacek will retire on Sept. 30 and join the Eli Lilly’s Global Security team.

“Serving as Concord’s Chief of Police has been the highlight of my career. After more than three decades in law enforcement, it’s time for me to move on, but I have the utmost confidence in the next generation of leadership,” Gacek said.

Over the past decade, Gacek has helped Concord grow over 33% making it the tenth largest and sixth fastest growing city in the state, a release said.

Under his leadership, crime in Concord has gone down 45%. The city is ranked as one of the safest in North Carolina and is one of two cities on the Top 20 Safest Cities in the state list with a population of over 100,000.

Gacek also helped create the Concord Police Foundation after a Concord police officer died on the line of duty in 2020. The foundation supports the Department’s employees, their families, and policing programs in the community.

“Chief Gacek has been an innovative leader for the City of Concord, pushing our Police Department to achieve the highest standards of public safety,” said City Manager Lloyd Payne.

Deputy Chief Jimmy Hughes will start as the interim Chief of Police on October 1.

The City is continuing to search for a full-time replacement.

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