New interim police chief sworn in following Dayton Police Chief Richard Biehl’s retirement

DAYTON — An interim police chief was sworn in following Dayton Police Chief Richard Biehl’s retirement after more than 13 years on the job.

>> Dayton Police Chief Richard Biehl announces he will retire from department

Lieutenant colonel Matt Carper was officially sworn-in as Interim Director and Chief of Police at 2p.m. on Friday.

The community held a large event to honor Biehl Tuesday night, and city commissioners did the same Wednesday morning.

During the last city commission meeting, Biehl received only praise and positive job reviews.

“Your spirit of compassion and connectivity between the community and police is something that has served this community so, so well,” Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley said.

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Biehl said the roller-coaster ride was almost beyond imagination.

“It has been a remarkable journey, one that I never could have written a script for,” Biehl said. “More challenges than I could have ever wished for.”

Whaley presented Biehl with a Key to the City, an honor she almost never bestows. Biehl joked that “the key does work.”

Biehl told commissioners that Dayton has more heart than any community he’s ever been in. He believes the city showed that during the last two years of continual crisis.

He admitted that the large challenges Dayton has gone through actually delayed his planned retirement.

“Striking that balance is tough, that scale has not tipped in the right direction for a number of years. I’m looking for the scale to tip back toward spending time with my children, the time that I’ve missed,” Biehl said.

Biehl served 41 years in law enforcement and 13 and a half years as Dayton’s Police Chief. He said he believes he’s left the department in competent, compassionate and caring hands.

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