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New Mill Creek Park police chief plans safe, pleasant environment
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SWEARING-IN: James Willock Jr. is administered his oath as police chief of Mill Creek MetroParks by Mahoning County Probate Court Judge Mark Belinky. Willock officially was named chief during a ceremony Wednesday at the D.D. and Velma Davis Education and Visitor Center in Fellows Riverside Gardens.
By Jon Moffett
YOUNGSTOWN — James Willock Jr., 34, acknowledged there will be some differences between running a township police department and overseeing a park police force, but he welcomes the challenge.
“I think this is a great park; I’ve said that for years,” he said. “I’ve always been a proponent of the park [system] because I grew up using it.”
He was officially sworn in Wednesday during a ceremony at the D.D. and Velma Davis Education and Visitor Center located in Fellows Riverside Gardens in Mill Creek MetroParks.
“I think the most interesting part about this job is going to be trying to make it a safe environment and a pleasant environment to visit the park,” Willock said, “as opposed to traditional policing where that’s not really your role to make it a pleasant experience for people for the most part.”
With his right hand raised while he stood in front of his parents, peers and park officials, Willock took the oath administered by Mahoning County Probate Court Judge Mark Belinky. He then was given his badge by acting executive director Tom Bresko.
“We want Jim to focus on a friendly visitor aspect of the park district,” Bresko said. “People come out to the park to enjoy themselves, and we want to the best of our ability to enhance that and not deter it with an overly [imposing] police presence.”
Willock was named police chief in August. He replaces Nathaniel Pinkard, who retired as chief in May after 28 years.
Before joining the MetroParks squad, Willock served as police chief for the Goshen Police District for eight years. He had been with the department for four years before being named chief in 2001. Sgt. Steve McDaniel will fill the Goshen chief’s spot next week.
A lifelong resident of Mahoning County, Willock grew up on Youngstown’s West Side. He and his parents, Gwen and James Sr., moved from Crum Road to Goshen when he was a teenager. He attended West Branch High School and received his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Youngstown State University in 1997. He received his master’s degree from YSU in 2004.
Willock said his time in Goshen and Youngstown make him a good candidate for this position.
“I know one of the things they’re looking for is an ambassador-type role, and I think I can fill that because of my connections with the western part of the county,” he said.
jmoffett@vindy.com