Columbus Assistant Police Chief Chris Beddingfield has been promoted to chief of police.

Beddingfield will succeed Chief Clyde Butch Kennedy, who has served as the chief of police for Columbus for the past four years, and is retiring effective Jan. 1, 2011.

Beddingfield will be acting chief from Jan. 1 until he is officially sworn in as chief at the towns next council meeting on Jan. 20, 2011.

Beddingfield is a 21-year law enforcement veteran with the majority of his career spent in Polk County. Prior to coming to the Columbus Police Department he worked at both the Tryon Police Department and the Polk County Sheriffs Office, with his last position being captain of investigations.

Prior to working in Polk County, Beddingfield worked in various full and part-time capacities with the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Department, Henderson County Sheriffs Department and the Asheville Airport Police Department.

He graduated magna cum laude from Gardner-Webb University with a bachelor of science degree and is currently pursuing his master’s of public administration degree at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke. Beddingfield is also currently attending North Carolina State Universitys law enforcement executive program.

He holds an advanced law enforcement certificate and has served as second in charge of the department for the last three years. Beddingfield has received numerous awards for meritorious service in his law enforcement career.

Beddingfield is also a criminal justice instructor teaching a variety of subjects ranging from training cadets in a Basic Law Enforcement Training class to teaching Introduction to Criminal Justice in the associate degree program at Isothermal Community College. &bsp;

Beddingfield is a native of Saluda and currently resides there with his wife, Christy.