Mack and Stisher take charge of Decatur Police Department
Jun. 14—Growing up in Birmingham, new Decatur Police Chief Torry Mack and incoming Deputy Chief Eric Stisher were inspired by police officers who served their communities — and after two decades of doing the same, they find themselves in Decatur, eager to continue that mission.
"That's the route; that's the foundation right there," Mack said on Friday.
Mack was sworn in as the city's new chief June 2 and Stisher will begin his role Monday.
But before these men made the decision to serve their local communities, they served their nation. Both enlisted in the U.S. Army at a young age and first met each other while they were stationed at Giessen, Germany, in the same unit.
"I was field artillery and he was communications, but we were in the same battalion back in 1989," Mack said.
Both men fought in the Gulf War.
Mack, 55, served in the U.S. Army for 21 years and achieved the rank of master sergeant. He received the Kuwait Liberation Medal and Meritorious Service Medal.
"I just enjoy helping — I did it on a national level in the military," Mack said. "Once I got off active duty, I needed a job. It was going to be in public safety — firefighter or police, whoever called first. Police called first, and I hit the ground running."
Stisher, 54, said after he completed his active-duty obligations in the military, he continued serving in the Army Reserves for 24 years and retired as a 1st sergeant. He said by serving in the military and as a police officer, he has accomplished both of his career goals.
"Twenty-seven years of military and four combat tours and 27 and a half years with the police department," Stisher said.
Mack on March 30 retired as a captain with the Birmingham Police Department after 30 years, where he most recently served as division manager of Special Operations overseeing tactical units such as SWAT, K-9, explosives, snipers and the Crime Suppression Unit, as well as specialized teams focused on enforcement, intelligence, crime reduction and reconnaissance.
Stisher retired this year as a lieutenant with the same department, having started his law enforcement career as a corrections officer in 1995 before becoming a police officer in 1997.
During their time in Birmingham, Mack and Stisher worked with youth to introduce them to law enforcement and spur interest in potential careers. Instilling a vision of positive policing in the minds of young people is something Mack believes will lead them to become officers one day.
He looks forward to Decatur's Explorer program that is scheduled to kick off Monday. It's aimed at educating teenagers who are interested in law enforcement careers, and he lauded the success of the same program in Birmingham.
"You wouldn't believe how many participated in our Explorer program that are now sworn officers," Mack said. "That's a good pipeline to a good job."
Just as he was preparing to retire after a 30-year law enforcement career, Mack said a friend in Decatur contacted him about the open police chief position left vacant by former Chief Todd Pinion in March, following a third-party review of the Police Department.
"I had no idea what was going on in Decatur and I had a friend tell me I should apply," Mack said. "He mentioned some issues that were going on and I was like, 'Why would I want to apply for that?'"
In the early morning hours of Sept. 29, 2023, 39-year-old Steve Perkins was shot and killed in his front yard on Ryan Drive Southwest by former Decatur police officer Mac Marquette during a botched attempt to repossess Perkins' truck. Since then, local grassroots organizations like Standing in Power and numerous individuals supporting the Perkins' family have led demonstrations demanding accountability from the Police Department.
The Police Department came under scrutiny again April 15 when Decatur resident John Scott Jr., 41, was arrested by police while experiencing an apparent mental health crisis. Scott resisted officers and was tased twice and wrestled to the ground and taken into custody. After an hour in the Morgan County Jail, Scott suffered a medical episode and was taken to Decatur Morgan Hospital and later to Huntsville Hospital where he died a week later.
Mack said his friend kept pushing him to apply for the job and he finally did. After watching news reports about Decatur, Mack said he knew he made the right choice.
"I said, 'OK, maybe I could be the change agent that is needed,'" Mack said. "I heard about the Perkins incident and other things. The third-party review said it was lacking communication and lacking leadership. I thought that I could bridge the gap between the community and police officers. I know I can be that leader to move this department forward."
Stisher said he was sitting at home watching TV when he got the call from his long-time colleague to join him in Decatur as his deputy chief. The position was created Monday by the City Council on a 4-0 vote after Mack requested it.
"He said he wouldn't do it unless I came with him and I said, 'I hear you.'" Stisher said. "I'm in, because everywhere he has gone as a leader in Birmingham, he's asked me to come with him. We've done great things together in Birmingham."
Stisher said after a brief conversation with his wife about the new job, he was quickly back on the phone with Mack to accept the job.
"After that, I started paying attention to the City Council meetings and started reading news and pulling up news clips on social media and I felt like we could truly make a change," Stisher said.
Mack said both the Perkins and Marquette families are suffering.
"Any time a life is taken, it's sad," he said.
He said the Perkins family lost a husband, a father and a brother — "That's a sad occasion."
As for Marquette, Mack said the former officer has been impacted as well.
"He is not the same since this happened," Mack said. "He's not the husband his wife married prior to this incident. There are no winners in this situation. Prayer on both sides will get them through it."
Mack said he spoke with Paulette Tennison Sanders on Monday, the mother of Scott.
He plans on providing more mental health training for his officers and will work with mental health liaison Kate Anderson on the direction of the training.
"We're going to discuss how to enhance what we've got," Mack said.
Mack addressed the frustration of people protesting Decatur police and said it all boils down to transparency and communication, something he aims to perfect during his tenure as chief.
"Their perception possibly could have been not caring and not hearing from the leaders in the Police Department and not being informed," Mack said. "I think that's what they are upset about. I guess we turned a deaf ear to it."
He said he has spoken with the Decatur police command staff and the members of Standing in Power and said both sides yearn for dialogue with one another. He plans to bring both to the table soon to sort things out.
"We're not going to discuss the case or anything that happened yesterday," Mack said. "We're going to talk about where we are today and how we can move forward. That's a start. We need to be intentional. If we want to continue to live like this, then let's not talk. But the people that are suffering are the citizens of Decatur. It's no closure for the loved ones on both ends."
— wesley.tomlinson@decaturdaily.com or 256-340-2442.
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