WALLS (AP) — Newly appointment Walls Police Chief Gary Boisseau has spent his first couple of weeks on the job trying to meet as many of the town’s citizens as possible.

He doesn’t introduce himself as ‘‘chief’’ — that’s too formal.

He doesn’t want to be known as Officer Boisseau — pronounced ‘‘boy-so,’’ which is much too hard for most people to say.

He wants everyone to know him simply as ‘‘Gary.’’

That’s the kind of person he is — and the kind of small-town law enforcement officer he’s always enjoyed being.

‘‘I enjoy working with people,’’ said Boisseau, 42, who was officially hired by the Walls Board of Mayor and Aldermen on Jan. 5. ‘‘I want people, especially kids, to feel like they can trust me and come to me anytime they have a problem.

‘‘People don’t always feel that way about a uniform.’’

As hard as it is for some to believe, the tiny town of Walls represents a major step up in population for Boisseau.

While working as part of a five-officer rotation in his previous town of Sturgis, Miss., Boisseau policed a population of just 250 people — most of whom he knew by name.

He’ll be working a population of more than 1,200 in Walls, but he’s well-prepared for the step up — thanks largely to a major event he covered every year in Sturgis, the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.

The rally, which will celebrate its 70th anniversary in August, immediately expanded the town of Sturgis from 250 people to more than 25,000.

Name a situation, and Boisseau has dealt with it.

‘‘Every year for the rally, we’d swear in 50 certified officers,’’ said Boisseau, who grew up in the Kansas City suburbs and practiced law in Lee County, Miss., before moving to Sturgis in 2004. ‘‘During the Sturgis rally, the legal events would kind of run the gamut, as you can probably imagine with that many people moving through.’’

Though Boisseau enjoyed the once-a-year thrills of the rally, he’s looking forward to a more consistent work life in the relatively peaceful town of Walls.

Besides trying to meet as many people as he can, he’s been trying to finish the physical move, which entails decorating an apartment and setting up all of his utilities.

Even during the hectic process of moving, Boisseau has already been looking for new ways to make Walls a better place.

A self-proclaimed ‘‘computer junkie,’’ he’s hoping to create a Web site that will help him communicate more easily with town citizens. He also wants to create an anonymous tip line for people to report crimes without getting intimately involved.

‘‘Me being out there and being seen is a very important part of community law enforcement,’’ Boisseau said. ‘‘But getting cooperation from the people is even more important. They’re out there all the time, and I want them to know their help is always welcomed.’’

Lynda Austin, one of the aldermen who voted unanimously to hire Boisseau as the replacement for Chris Sing, believes Boisseau will be the perfect fit for Walls.

‘‘He comes from another small town, so we knew he would be comfortable here,’’ Austin said. ‘‘He’s a young man, and we’re a growing town. He’s young enough to grow with us.’’

Walls Mayor Gene Alday said he was also pleased with the hire of Boisseau.

‘‘Once he settles in, I really think he’ll do a fine job,’’ said Alday, who jokingly refers to Boisseau as ’Gary Sturgis’ because he can’t pronounce Boisseau. ‘‘He’s already getting his feet wet. He just jumped right in.’’