Harvey E. "Gene" Mitchell
Former Director of Public Safety
1995 - 1996
Harvey E. "Gene" Mitchell began his work with the Department of Public Safety in 1963 as a trooper cadet in Florence. He achieved trooper rank the next year and was assigned to the Highway Patrol Division in the Birmingham area. He later served in Mobile, and upon promotion to corporal, he transferred to Talladega.
In 1970 he was assigned to the Narcotic Unit of Investigative and Identification, a division now known as Alabama Bureau of Investigation. He was promoted to sergeant in 1972. That same year his service with Public Safety was interrupted when Gov. George Wallace appointed him sheriff of Talladega County during the course of an investigation into widespread corruption in that county. Mitchell returned to Public Safety in 1973, assigned to Intelligence in Decatur.
While Mitchell was working in Intelligence, then-Gov. Fob James asked him to serve as his chief of security and, later, as assistant director of Public Safety. Following James' term, Mitchell returned to service in the Intelligence Unit. He was promoted to lieutenant in 1985 and served briefly as security for former-Gov. James before returning to Intelligence in 1986. He transferred to Highway Patrol in 1988, where he served until his retirement from the Department of Public Safety in January 1989.
Mitchell worked with James during the 1994 gubernatorial campaign. After James was again elected governor, he chose Mitchell to lead Public Safety, appointing him director in January 1995. Mitchell served as Public Safety director until his resignation May 22, 1996. Following Mitchell's resignation, assistant director Lt. Col. L.N. Hagan served as acting director of Public Safety until his appointment as director Aug. 1, 1996.