He broke a crucial color barrier in North Central Florida.
Atkins Warren was the first African American chief of the Gainesville Police Department. He passed away this weekend, but left a lasting legacy in the community.

In the 80's, national headlines called Warren the, "tough cop," bringing a new wave of policing to a "high-crime" community. Being accepted as Gainesville's first black police chief, wasn't his only challenge.

When Warren took office in 1980, the city was ranked fourth in the nation for crime.

A police chief who had also been a member of the U.S. Coast Guard, those who knew Warren say, he was a common man.