(WHAS11) - He's been Louisville's police chief for seven years now and with the mayor not seeking re-election Robert White is keeping his options open for the future.
He is Louisville's first African American police chief and says now he probably didn't give it the attention it deserved when he arrived.
WHAS11's Rachel Platt goes one on one with Chief White about race, a tough upbringing and fulfilling a dream he had as a child.
They took a look at his high school yearbook and took a stroll down memory lane for Chief White and his wife Valerie.
Next to his senior picture are his dreams for the future.
“There I am, goal to be a police officer,” says Chief White.
It was a dream that would come true.
The seed was planted when he was just a child in Virginia and saw an officer helping a young girl.
“The little girl was lost, it stuck with me to be a police officer,” he says.
Not just an officer, but a chief.
His wife created a quilt when he became chief in Greensboro, North Carolina.
His next stop, Louisville, Kentucky, was where he would become the city's first African American chief.
Chief White says he now appreciates the significance of it and Louisville has been a wonderful surprise.
The ride was not so smooth with some in his own department.
Chief White says he's somewhat of a loner, ready to make tough decisions.
Through the years his wife says he's made plenty of them.
“I think black or white the community knows Robert looks at the facts first and not other things we look at so often,” she says.
Color didn't matter when he ended derby cruising in the west end. Many African Americans were upset when he did.
“It was the right thing to do, not a popular decision but it was a safety issue,” he says.
And what about the chief's decision on where to live? He chose the east end in a predominantly white neighborhood.
He says he was questioned about it once and only once.
“I'm not inclined to explain myself and that's the end of that,” he says.
Where he is today is shaped by his upbringing; a single mom raising four kids in some tough neighborhoods; his best friend wasshot and killed.
So when Chief White shows up at crime scenes, he thinks of what could have been and credits his mom with keeping him on track.
All traits he passes on to his three children; a daughter and two sons.
Chief White is hoping attitudes toward police have improved under his watch. That credibility has gotten better.
And now something perhaps you didn't know about the chief; he is quite the bowler.
He is also a fanatic about game shows, including Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy, so watch out when challenging the chief on those!
His dream is to one day be a contestant and he has applied!
