# Chief Bastin - January 6, 2008 > Auto-transcribed civic record · January 6, 2008 - **Permalink**: https://meetings.lexingtonky.news/meeting/312 - **Source video**: https://lfucg.granicus.com/player/clip/312?view_id=14&redirect=true - **Date**: 2008-01-06 - **Last revised**: February 1, 2026 - **Length**: 1,276 words > ⚠️ **Auto-generated content.** Audio from the official Granicus video was auto-transcribed by OpenAI Whisper-1. Structured facts were extracted with GPT-4o; the narrative summary was written by Anthropic Claude Sonnet. Speaker labels and verbatim wording may contain errors. See [methodology](https://meetings.lexingtonky.news/about/methodology) or [report a correction](mailto:editor@lexingtonky.news). --- ## Meeting Overview The Urban County Council convened in Lexington with Mayor Newberry presiding. The meeting focused on a single agenda item regarding the appointment of Ronnie Bastin as Police Chief, which was approved by the council. The meeting included one agenda item and no recorded motions or votes were taken during the proceedings. No public comments were heard during this session. The primary accomplishment of the meeting was the successful approval of Ronnie Bastin's appointment to serve as Police Chief for the jurisdiction. *Note: Specific date, time, and transcript timestamps were not available in the provided meeting materials.* ## Attendance The following members were present at the meeting: • Mayor Newberry • Ronnie Bastin • Sandra • James • Victoria • Anthony Beatty No members were reported as absent or late for this meeting. ## Appointments The meeting included one appointment action: • **Ronnie Bastin** was appointed as Police Chief *Note: No transcript timestamps were available for this meeting section.* ## Appointment of Ronnie Bastin as Police Chief Ronnie Bastin was officially sworn in as the new police chief of Lexington during the meeting. The appointment represents a significant leadership transition for the city's police department. During the ceremony, Chief Bastin expressed his appreciation to several key figures who supported his appointment. He specifically thanked Mayor Newberry for the opportunity to lead the department and acknowledged the Urban County Council for their confidence in his abilities. Bastin also recognized his family for their support throughout the process. In his remarks, the newly appointed chief outlined his priorities for leading the department. He emphasized his commitment to continuing efforts to build trust between the police force and the Lexington community. Bastin also highlighted the importance of maintaining and strengthening partnerships with community organizations and stakeholders. Mayor Newberry participated in the swearing-in ceremony, formally installing Bastin in his new role. The appointment was approved without recorded opposition, indicating broad support for the selection among council members. The transition marks a new chapter for Lexington's police department under Bastin's leadership. His stated focus on community trust and partnerships suggests continuity with modern policing approaches that emphasize community engagement and collaborative relationships between law enforcement and residents. The appointment process concluded successfully with Bastin officially assuming his duties as police chief, ready to implement his vision for the department's future direction and community relations. --- ## Full transcript Playing of the Worldlishing Song This is a sound possível made by me! If you would like to use, please see the information in the description! This is a sound possível made by me! If you would like to use, please see the information in the description! This is a sound possível made by me! This is a sound possível made by me! Sandra and James and Victoria, Ronnie's wife, son and daughter. I have known the fellow standing to my left for more than 40 years. And when you do the math, it comes out we have known each other since we were in grade school together. Everything I have ever known of Ronnie Bastin has been absolutely exemplary. And perhaps those impressions that you have of people you have known a long time can sometimes be jaded. But one of the most rewarding aspects about knowing Ronnie Bastin is to hear how many people tell me, from all across the country, what an outstanding individual we have to serve as our police chief in Lexington. I had letters of recommendation and kind words about Ronnie that came to me from a whole assortment of folks who have had contact with Chief Bastin in a variety of settings over the years. And I think the thing that impressed me most about all of those comments was how many of them testified to his professionalism. Because we have a very professional group of police officers. We have an outstanding collection of professionals who serve our community in the Division of Police. And so I am very, very pleased to have the opportunity to today present someone who I think is the epitome of professionalism, someone whose integrity has been above reproach, and someone who has extensive experience in every aspect of the Division of Police. I have great confidence that he will maintain that level of professionalism that has been a hallmark of our Division of Police for a number of years now. And with that having been said, it is my pleasure to ask to step to the podium my longtime friend and Lexington's new police chief, Ronnie Bastin. Applause. Are you prepared to take the oath? I am. Please raise your right hand. Ronnie J. Bastin, do you solemnly swear that you will support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of this Commonwealth, and that you will be faithful and true to this Commonwealth of Kentucky so long as you are a citizen thereof, and that you will faithfully execute to the best of your ability the office of police chief according to law, and that you possess the qualifications required by statute and ordinance? And do you further solemnly swear that since the adoption of the present Constitution, that you, being a citizen of this state, have not fought a duel with deadly weapons within this state nor out of it, that you have not sinned or accepted a challenge to fight a duel with deadly weapons, that you have not acted as a second in carrying a challenge, and that you have not aided or assisted any person thus offending, so help you God? I do. Congratulations. Applause. It is now my honor to pin the chief's pins on his collar. I will tell you, this is not as easy as it looks, so bear with me. Thank you. And now I'm going to ask Sandra if you will come forward and do the honors with the badge. Laughter. No blood. Laughter. No blood. And last but not least, it is my pleasure to present you with your badge. With that said, let me just conclude by saying congratulations. Applause. Thank you. I first want to thank Mayor Newberry and members of the Urban County Council for allowing me the opportunity to be Lexington's chief of police. I also want to thank my family members who are here with me today. They've always been there for me, and without their support, I wouldn't be here today. I promise you. I'm very proud to be a member of the Division of Police and consider it an honor to have the opportunity to lead such a remarkable group of men and women, and there are so many of them in the back today. I'm touched by how many people came. Thank you. My predecessor, Chief Anthony Beatty, has built a solid foundation, a foundation of community trust and partnerships. My team will continue this effort, searching for innovative ways to keep Lexington a great place to live and work. I thank each of you for being here on this special day. Each one of you means something to me personally, and I really appreciate your continued support. Thank you for being here. That concludes our ceremony up here, but I hope all of you will join us downstairs on the first floor ballroom for a reception in Chief Bastin's honor. I look forward to seeing you there. Thank you. I actually... I actually... I actually... I actually... I actually... I actually... I actually... I actually... I actually... I actually... I actually... I actually... I actually... I actually... I actually... I actually... I actually... I actually... I actually... I actually... I actually... I actually... I actually... I actually... I actually... I actually... I actually... 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