A Man Of The People
Reggie Burgess has demonstrated effective and compassionate leadership while building strong community trust and relationships for over three decades. As a leader, he has always made himself accessible to all the people of North Charleston and often spent his off-duty hours visiting and checking on residents.
Reggie truly cares about the people of North Charleston.
For 34 years, Reggie served the people of North Charleston as a distinguished and decorated law enforcement officer with the North Charleston Police Department. In 2018, Reggie was appointed Chief of the North Charleston Police Department and immediately made an impact by creating and launching innovative programs, including the Department’s “Stop The Violence” walks through crime-ridden neighborhoods as part of its RECAP (Rebuilding Every Community Around Peace) Initiative, the CAPS (Cops Athletic Program), which offers free, organized youth sports programs in basketball, soccer, baseball, powder puff football, spelling bee, hockey, dodgeball, lacrosse, and kickball; and the “Baby Changes Everything” initiative to decrease infant rollover deaths by providing expecting and new mothers resources to educate, engage and equip.
Reggie and his wife Tracy live in North Charleston. They are the proud parents of two adult children, Reggie II and Kristen.
A Determined Spirit
As a young child, Reggie was raised by a single mother who adopted him from her friend. Reggie’s humble beginnings and challenges fostered a persevering spirit to face life’s toughest challenges head-on with determination, grit, and resolve.
As a Law Enforcement Officer, Reggie was part of the city’s leadership that swiftly acted and sought justice for the family of Walter Scott.
Throughout his law enforcement career, Reggie worked tirelessly during natural disasters, including hurricanes and storms, to serve and protect the people of North Charleston.
After attending Morgan State University for four years, Reggie joined the North Charleston Police Department, determined to utilize his relationships in the community to improve the relationship between law enforcement and the community.
Reggie later graduated from Claflin University in Orangeburg and received additional training from:
- SMIP – Senior Management Institute of Policing, Boston University
- SPI – Southern Police Institute, University of Louisville
- Institute of Departmental Management, University of South Carolina
- Institute of Police Technology Drug Commander Training, University of North Florida
- United States Secret Service – Secret Service Dignitary Command Training
- FBI (LEEDA) – Law Enforcement Executive Development Association
Leadership By Example
As Chief of the North Charleston Police Department, Reggie managed a budget of over $40 million and a staff of over 400 sworn officers and civilians.
Recognized nationally for his work within the Department has led to Reggie speaking in various cities around the country, about his approach to law enforcement. As a means to combat crime, Reggie began the “Stop The Violence” Walks with community leaders and residents to address rising crime rates. These walks gave Reggie a unique perspective of the challenges and issues of each community and the businesses throughout North Charleston.
Additionally, Reggie, with the assistance of Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck, created the RETALIATION INCIDENT REDUCTION PROTOCOL, to assist law enforcement in preventing retaliation shooting incidents and thus reducing homicides.
Service First
Since joining the North Charleston Police Department in 1989, Reggie has offered himself as a mentor and advocate for the youth and people of North Charleston. He has served in numerous volunteer positions, including coach and mentor, giving freely of his time and resources as he saw fit.
When Reggie became the Assistant Chief of Police in North Charleston, he and then Chief, Chief Driggers changed the Department’s “Protect and Serve” mantra to “Serve and Protect,” as they believed that the Department’s first duty was to serve the people of the city.
Reggie is a “Servant Leader” who uniquely understands the importance of serving the people, businesses, and partners of North Charleston in order for the city to remain economically prosperous to continue its trajectory toward becoming one of the greatest cities in the world.
Reggie is an active member of Royal Missionary Baptist Church and a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., a service-based organization founded in 1911 on the campus of Howard University and uses his platform as Chief of Police to serve others in the business, athletic, and faith-based communities.
Reggie’s Vision For North Charleston
As a native and lifelong resident of North Charleston, Reggie does not hesitate to express his feelings for his hometown. “I believe that North Charleston is the greatest city in the world,” Reggie says to anyone listening. “We have so much to offer, and I want people to see our city. I want them to understand why I and so many others love it here.”
“I lived here before North Charleston was even a city. I’ve seen the tremendous growth and prosperity that has taken place here.”
“I envision North Charleston as the safest city in this country. I envision North Charleston as a city with abundant economic growth for large and small business owners. I envision North Charleston as a city where every resident feels their voice is heard and their concerns are being addressed. I want to see every community in this city prosper and have the amenities and resources to enhance the quality of life for those in the South End, as well as those in the North End and everywhere in between. I want to see North Charleston be the best place to live, work, and raise a family if one so chooses.”
“Be better today than you were yesterday. Be better tomorrow than you were today.”
I say this because the “WIN. EVERY. DAY.” philosophy is not about winning games or someone else losing. It is about you doing everything you can to be the best person that you can be and being able to know that every night when you lie down, you’ve done your best that day.
Simple. But this may help.
WIN. – Make sure that everything you do, you are doing it to be the best version of YOU. Set goals and work towards those goals. Win by helping others and seeing them succeed.
EVERY – Every minute and every moment of your day, do what you need to do to help you WIN and accomplish whatever goal you may have. Every action should be to help you and others.
DAY – Days become weeks. Weeks become months. Months become years. Strive to establish the WIN. EVERY. portion of this philosophy each DAY and in the end, you will have moved closer to your goals and hopes.
We believe this in our Campaign and we talk about it each day.
I believe that if we as a city start to think in this manner, it will benefit us all. It sounds idealistic, but I have no problem with being idealistic. I think we need idealism in our lives. But truly I believe that through cooperation, collaboration, and consistent effort, we can all truly WIN. EVERY. DAY.
That is our goal.