Reuben M. Greenberg Municipal Building

This portion of the Charleston’s Police Department is named after Reuben Greenberg (1943–2014), the city’s renowned Jewish African-American police chief, who served from 1982 to 2005. Born in Texas and raised as a Methodist, Greenberg converted to Judaism, the religion of his Ukranian paternal grandfather, in 1965. As chief of police, he acted as a change agent, ratcheting up the department’s professionalism, while decreasing crime. Not without controversy, Greenberg gained national attention and publicity, including a 1983 Los Angeles Times story titled, “A Black, Jewish, Roller-Skating Cop Brings A New Way to Fight Crime to the Old South.” Greenberg was a member of Synagogue Emanu-El.

Reuben M. Greenberg Municipal Building, 2020

Chief Reuben Greenberg in his office, 2000

Reuben Greenberg at Synagogue Emanu-El, 2000

Reuben Greenberg, Civil War reenactor, 2000