ROCKWELL — Rockwell’s new leading lawman ought to look awfully familiar to folks in the community.
Detective Fred West, now Chief of Police Fred West, is taking over for outgoing Police Chief Cody Trexler, who formally announced his intention to rejoin the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office during the most recent Board of Aldermen meeting.
West’s career in law enforcement extends back a decade and a half. He began working at the Salisbury Police Department in 2012 and was there when a colleague, now Major Justin Crews, announced plans to step down from the Rockwell Board of Aldermen. As a long-time member of the Eastern Rowan County and Rockwell community, West took that as his opportunity to serve the town. Rockwell officials agreed, and he was appointed to the seat. A few months later, however, another chance to serve presented itself.
“I saw that Rockwell had an opening and I thought I could serve Rockwell as an experienced police officer better than an alderman,” West said.
West was featured in an article by Shavonne Potts for the Salisbury Post in 2012 upon the completion of his Basic Law Enforcement Training. He made history as the first amputee to serve on the Salisbury Police force. His left leg was partially amputated from about six inches below the knee after a forklift accident at a Food Lion warehouse in 2000 crushed his foot.
While employed in Salisbury, he was on patrol and worked K9 interdiction. He also specialized in fraud. That experience has helped him at Rockwell, where he has climbed the ranks and is now poised to lead.
He has been a part of a time in Rockwell during which drug patrols and seizures have increased, a point of pride for his predecessor.
“I have been very proud of proactive police work in Rockwell,” Trexler said. “From 2022 to 2024, we had a 127-percent increase in drugs found. That is the proactive work that the officers are doing to get them off the street.”
While results are important to both the outgoing and incoming chief, community engagement tops their list of priorities.
“I love giving back to the community,” West said of being in law enforcement. “I love the community and making sure they are safe and trying to keep Rockwell a place where people want to live, work and come to visit.”
He also pointed to the recent National Night Out event held in the town park as an example of that extension into the community and how it lends itself to police work.
“It is the highlight of our fall,” West said. “It was a great chance to give back to the community and for the community to meet our officers, and we could not have done this without businesses and local businesses giving to it.”
Similarly, Trexler talked about the Tree of Angels that they do around the holidays as a meaningful way they can have an impact beyond making arrest.
Trexler oversaw a lot of growth in the department during his tenure.
“When I first started, we had 7 full-time officers, including the chief,” he said. “Now we have 10 full-time and seven part-time.”
Trexler will be joining incoming Sheriff Jody Burleyson in an administrative role, but he will look fondly on the time he spent in Rockwell.
“It has been an honor and an absolute pleasure,” he said. “Even though I am transitioning to the county, Rockwell will always be home to us.”
He knows it is in good hands, though. Beyond his role as police chief, West is a husband and father to four children. He also is a youth pastor at West Park Baptist Church.
Trexler is not the only one cheering on the new chief. Mayor Chuck Bowman offered words of encouragement on West’s behalf, saying, “I have the utmost confidence in Fred to lead our police department. I know he is going to do a great job.”
