With the imminent retirement of Suffolk Police Chief William Freeman on Wednesday, Suffolk was at risk of being in the unfortunate position of choosing between making a quick choice on his replacement or choosing someone who could not “hit the ground running.”

Tuesday’s announcement that Thomas H. Townsend would take over as the interim police chief gives Suffolk a little breathing room and a steady, experienced hand at the helm of its police department. That’s good news for residents of Hampton Roads’ fastest growing city.

Townsend brings more than 30 years worth of experience to the Suffolk force, having served in the Hampton Police Department from 1974 to 2004. He was the chief of that department during the four years prior to his retirement, and he received numerous departmental honors, including the Legion of Honor Award for being feloniously wounded in the line of duty.

With the retirement of the well-regarded Chief Freeman, Suffolk’s police officers and detectives deserve another leader who will inspire them and whom they can respect. Until the city can find a person fitting that description to serve the community permanently, it’s comforting to know that both the police department and city residents have an interim police chief who fits the bill.