Gastonia Police: Helton and Brittain linked by history, values
Rob Helton was a young officer with just a couple of years of service with the Gastonia Police Department when he first met Travis Brittain back in 1989.
Helton was immediately impressed with the young teenager who was a member of the Explorer post sponsored by the department with the aim of giving high school students early exposure to careers in law enforcement.
“He was so interested, right from the start,” Helton recalls as the two men relax for a chat in Helton’s office. “Even then, you could see he was a natural leader. He was involved. He asked good questions.”
Brittain remembers his younger self a little differently.
“I was the pesky gnat who wouldn’t go away,” he laughed. “And I was also convinced I had to have a mustache if I was going to be a policeman.”
Thirty-one years later, Helton is in his last week as chief. His retirement begins on Thursday, Oct. 1.
And 31 years later, Brittain stands ready to be sworn in as the new chief, following his friend and his mentor into the department’s top leadership role.
Asked what prompted him to be a member of that Explorer post and to be interested in a law enforcement career, Brittain responds, again with a laugh, “When I found out how much money I could make.”
More seriously, the incoming chief said, “I was always fascinated with emergency vehicles. Loved to see them go by. I had a neighbor, who was a county police officer, who paid me $5 to wash his patrol car. I was just awestruck. He was the one who told me about the Explorer program.”
As he learned more about policing, Brittain said he realized, “This is something I want to be a part of. I saw how the work was done. I saw how important it is to the community.”
Just as Helton, 54, rose steadily through the ranks at the department, Brittain, 47, followed right behind him, marking sergeant in 2004, captain in 2012 and assistant chief in 2014, the same year Helton became chief.
Although people have told Helton he picked a good time to leave and Brittain that he picked a difficult time to be promoted, both men emphasized that neither the COVID-19 pandemic nor a summer of social unrest had anything to do with the timing of their decisions.
“My decision to retire had nothing to do with those circumstances,” said Helton. “I have served for 34 years. It’s time for me to step aside for someone else.”
Brittain echoed those remarks, saying, “There is never a quiet time to become chief of police. I can’t remember a quiet time, ever. Challenges and issues will always be there.”
As he nears the end of his tenure, Helton says he has complete confidence in Brittain and says he will always answer the phone when the new chief calls.
“Absolutely,” Helton said. “I’m here. I’m available to listen. To bounce ideas off of. I will do exactly the same thing for Chief Brittain that former chiefs did for me.”
“I feel good about it,” Helton continued, speaking of his successor. “He has all the qualifications. He is someone who knows the department, knows the city council, knows the community. The transition has been an easy one.”
Asked if he knew Brittain would one day be chief when he first met him more than three decades ago, Helton said, “No. But I never imagined that I would be chief either. I knew he was a good man. A fair man. A man who always took on extra responsibilities.”
Asked if he had any parting public words for Brittain, Helton responded, “Our strength in this city is in our community. Maintain and build on those relationships. Always have transparency. Always earn people’s trust.”
Of his own role as the new chief, Brittain said, “Chief Helton has left me with a strong foundation. My job is to build on that foundation for the person who will take my place.”
As to his own public parting words for the man who will soon be his former boss, Brittain said simply, “Enjoy your retirement. You’ve earned every minute of it.”
Bill Poteat, who was honored to join with these two men in a final interview, may be reached at 704-869-1855 or bpoteat@gastongazette.com.
