"One artifact I’m incredibly proud of is my shadowbox from the Norfolk Police Department that contains all my badges — officer, corporal, sergeant, lieutenant, captain, assistant chief, deputy chief and chief," Larry Boone says. "I am the first officer in the history of the Norfolk Police Department to occupy every rank."
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LARRY BOONE remembers precisely the moment he knew a career in policing was for him.
It was the fall of 1986, Boone’s senior season at Georgia Southern. Along the road to a second straight Division I-AA football national championship, the 270-pound defensive lineman made a tackle on the sideline.
“As I was getting up from the ground,” he says, “I saw for the first time in my life an African American law enforcement officer in uniform. He was rather remarkable to look at, possessing an air of confidence and physique equally equivalent. I knew at that moment if the NFL did not work out for me, law enforcement would be my next calling.”
And look at him now. Born in New Brunswick, N.J., and raised in Northampton (N.C.) County, Boone spent three-plus decades on the force in Norfolk, Va., the final five as chief, before taking on the top spot in the Urbana Police Department last summer.
The proud father of two adult children in the education and entertainment industries took time out to answer questions from Editor Jeff D’Alessio in the 225th installment of our weekly speed read spotlighting leaders of organizations big and small.
Urbana police chief Larry Boone, left, greets fire chief Demond Dade after Boone was sworn in last July.
I can’t live without my … Starbucks, Grande Pike, no additives. I can visualize my staff laughing now.
I’m frugal in that … having grown up in poverty, I learned at an early age to cut my own hair, and even though I can now afford to pay for someone to step in, I still save a few bucks and do it myself.
When it comes to meetings … in the public safety profession, they are extremely useful and necessary, particularly if the agency is operating through the lens of 21st century policing. My command staff and I meet daily for no more than 30 to 60 minutes, discussing a multitude of things — ranging from best practices, manpower concerns, technology and community policing.
As far as the hardest thing about being a leader goes … pre-George Floyd, I had been relatively effective in managing the expectations of the rank and file, community and city government.
In my 30-plus-year career, I’ve been through several watershed moments in the law enforcement profession — Rodney King, Michael Brown and Freddie Gray, to name a few.
Undoubtedly, the most difficult time in law enforcement and for me personally as leader was in 2020. During that time, law enforcement faced the George Floyd protests, a pandemic, police reform demands, the Kyle Rittenhouse incident, record-high violent crime and staffing challenges as officers and police chiefs were leaving the profession in record numbers.
Without a doubt, that time period was the most difficult time in my career.
Sharp-dressed Urbana Police Chief Larry Boone joined Mayor Diane Marlin for an appearance on ‘A Penny for Your Thoughts’ in the fall.
My single favorite moment of all-time in policing was … graduating from the Norfolk Police Department Academy. It was very demanding physically and mentally, couched in a paramilitary environment. Having grown up in an environment where one was most likely to end up in jail/prison and/or dead, there I was standing perpendicular to the floor — beaming with pride, ready to serve my community with honor. Unbeknownst to me, some 26 years later I would become the 43rd chief of police for the city of Norfolk.
The three adjectives I hope my staff would use to describe me are … accountable, innovative and confident.
On my office walls, you’ll find … family photos, community photos, photos of me and Presidents Obama/Biden and First Lady Michelle Obama, Georgia Southern national champs memorabilia, college degrees, bodybuilding photos and various law enforcement awards.
One artifact I’m incredibly proud of is my shadowbox from the Norfolk Police Department that contains all my badges — officer, corporal, sergeant, lieutenant, captain, assistant chief, deputy chief and chief.
I am the first officer in the history of the Norfolk Police Department to occupy every rank.
If I could trade places for a week with any other leader in town, I wouldn’t mind switching with … the University of Illinois head football coach as it would provide me a unique opportunity to influence young men who had the same dreams I had during that time in my life.
The official oath and new badge wait on the table before Larry Boone's swearing in as Urbana's police chief.
My one unbreakable rule of the workplace is … maintaining our integrity. In the law enforcement profession, it’s paramount to our success. Integrity is essential for maintaining public trust and confidence in law enforcement.
When police officers demonstrate integrity, they uphold the ethical standards of our profession, which help build positive relationships with the communities they serve.
Additionally, integrity is crucial for ensuring that police officers adhere to the law and uphold uprightness fairly and impartially through the lens of procedural justice.
The single-most important question I ask job candidates during interviews is … what is your understanding of community policing?
Most police candidates understand the machinery of traditional policing. But the current environment requires more than traditional policing. It requires one to have an understanding in the value of community policing as well, as traditional policing alone does not offer lasting solutions to complex problems.
However, community policing allows for collaboration with community stakeholders, social workers and other organizations, addressing the broader causes of crime and ensuring those in need receive the appropriate care and support.
Larry Boone shows off his new badge to the public after he was sworn in as chief by Mayor Diane Marlin.
The first thing I do when I get to work most days is … read and respond to emails.
For lunch … I tend to skip it most days unless I’m meeting someone for a business discussion.
I wind down after work by … watching and reading the news before working out.
When it comes to the last luxury in which I indulged ... I typically adhere to a vegetarian diet but on the weekends it’s not uncommon for me to splurge on a steak.
The most beneficial college class I took was … while seeking my master’s of public administration. I took a course at Old Dominion University called Wicked Problems in Public Administration.
The course focused on incidents and/or concerns that are very difficult to manage on a governmental level, which could be implementing change, policies, personnel concerns, managing conflict, etc. The course has been very instrumental in my professional career.
The last good book I read was … “The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness,” by Michelle Alexander, a civil rights legal scholar.
The book examines race-related issues specific to African American males and mass incarceration in the United States.
Larry Boone won two Division I-AA national titles as a lineman, linebacker and fullback for Georgia Southern University.
I’m up and at ’em every day … around 6 a.m.
My exercise routine consists of … riding my Peloton bike five days a week and doing a full-body workout with weights on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
The worst job I ever had was ... in high school during the summers. I worked with my uncle as a construction laborer making $100 a week. I was responsible for assembling the scaffolds, providing a continuous source of mortar to as many as eight to 10 bricklayers.
I enjoyed the comradery that comes with being in the company of older men and their lessons of life.
Conversely, I absolutely hated the work. It was hard. Respect to construction workers.
