GACP State News and Announcements

District 1

Audie Rowe was named as the Adel Police Chief on June 28, 2024. Chief Rowe has 41 years of law enforcement experience, with 39 of those years being in Adel. He has served as the assistant chief for the last 33 years and the last two months as the interim police chief.

Tanner Farmer was named as the Pearson Police Chief on June 26, 2024. He succeeded Walter Burkhalter who served as the chief for the past four years.

Robert Owens was named as the Ray City Police Chief on June 11, 2024. He succeeded Chief Steve Miller who served as the chief for the past eight years.

Dennis J. Hagood was appointed as the Alapaha Police Chief on July 31, 2024.  He replaced Larry Tabor who had served as the chief for the past seven years.

Tavoris Belcher was named as the Sparks Police Chief on September 4, 2024. He has four years of law enforcement experience and replaced Bob Myers who had served with the department for 16 years.

On September 9, 2024, Shawn McRae was appointed as police chief of their newly formed Arabi Police Department. Chief McRae has 29 years of law enforcement experience.

Howard Castleberry was named as the Interim Chief for the Lenox Police Department.  He succeeds Chief Shane Daughtrey who resigned on August 27, 2024, after 12 years as chief.

District 2

Shebbie Williams was named as the Randolph County School Police Chief on July 1, 2024.

On August 26, 2024, Albany Police Chief Michael Persley was appointed by Governor Brian P. Kemp to serve as a member of the Board of Directors of the Georgia Emergency Communications Authority.

District 3

On June 17, 2024, Aisha Al-Khalifa was named as the of the Warm Springs Police Chief.

District 4

Timothy Konzelman was named as the Ivey Police Chief. He previously served with the Georgia Department of Corrections, Office of Professional Standards for the past nine years. He replaced Jamaal Hicks, who served in the position for the past year.

District 5

On August 1, 2024, Nicholas Ray Strickland was named as the Patterson Police Chief.  He has 10 years of law enforcement experience and has served with the department for two years.

District 6

Nathan Tirey was named as the Acting Chief for the Ogeechee Technical College on August 12, 2024.  Chief Tirey has 15 years of law enforcement experience.  He replaces Chief Mark Gerbino, who retired after 14 years of law enforcement experience in Georgia.

Lester Drawdy was named as the Acting Chief of the Georgia Southern University Police Department on August 31, 2024.  He replaced Chief Laura McCullough, who served with the department for 23 years and the last eight years as chief.

District 7

Chief Johnny Walker was named as the Jefferson County School Police Chief on July 1, 2024. He had previously served as the Randolph County School Police Chief for six years. 

District 8

Arnold Gillman was named as the Fairmount Police Chief on June 12, 2024. He succeeds David Payne, who resigned on June 11, 2024

On June 25, 2024, Dallas Police Chief Joe Duvall was one of five public safety leaders in the United States to be presented the FirstNet Authority Patriot Award at the 5×5 Public Safety Innovation Summit. Chief Duvall was described as a pioneer in public safety communications. In 2021, he migrated his entire department to FirstNet, including patrol operations and dispatch, becoming the first agency in the state — and one of the first in the nation — to completely switch from land mobile radios to broadband communications.

John Tortoso was named as the Aragon Police Chief on May 16, 2024. He had served as the Acting Chief since November 8, 2023.

On July 1, 2024, Governor Brian P. Kemp appointed Calhoun Police Lt. Colonel Kenneth Jerome Carson to the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council.

Governor Brian P. Kemp issued an Executive Order directing Flags on the State Capitol Building and in Paulding County be Lowered to Half-Staff on August 23, 2024, in Honor and as a Mark of Respect for the Memory of Deputy Brandon Cunningham, who was killed in the Line-of-Duty on Saturday, August 17, 2024.

On August 27, 2024, Governor Brian P. Kemp issued an Executive Order directing Flags on the State Capitol Building and in Carroll County be Lowered to Half-Staff on August 29, 2024, in Honor and as a Mark of Respect for the Memory of Investigator Taylor Jaimeson Bristow, who on Friday, August 23, 2024, succumbed to injuries received in the line of duty.

District 9

Felicia Fortson retired as the Chief Investigator for the Western Judicial Circuit where she had served for 23 years.  She is succeeded by Kelly Meridith. Chief Meridith has 31 years of law enforcement experienced and has served with the Circuit for 23 years.

David Edwards was named as the Interim Chief for the Sky Valley Police Department. Chief Edwards has 38 years of law enforcement experience with the last 18 years at Sky Valley.  He replaced Vaughn Estes, who had 35 years of service with the last 10 years as the Sky Valley police chief.

On September 10, 2024, Daniel Morehead, was named as the Royston Police Chief. Chief Morehead has 29 years of law enforcement experience. He replaced Chief Donnie Bolemon, who retired on August 30, 2024, after serving with the department for a total of 20 years,14 of which were as chief.

Jonathan McIlvaine was named as the Madison Police Chief on September 3, 2024. Chief McIlvaine has 18 years of law enforcement experience.

District 10

Tommy Henderson III was named as the Chief Investigator for the Clayton County Solicitor’s Office on June 3, 2024.

On July 11, 2024, Chief Anthony A. Bazydlo and the Fairburn Police Department were awarded Re-Certification under the Georgia Law Enforcement Certification Program.

Timothy D. Peek was named as the Chief Investigator for the Fulton County Solicitor’s Office.  He replaced Clarence Cox who retired after serving in the position for the last two years.

District 11

Sandy Springs Police Chief Kenneth J. DeSimone II was appointed by Governor Brian P. Kemp to the Board of Homeland Security on June 17, 2024. Chief DeSimone succeeds Chief Erika Shields (Ret.).

Mary Forman was named as the Chattahoochee Technical College Police Chief on August 16, 2024.  Chief Forman has 24 years of law enforcement experience, of which the last eight were with Chattahoochee Tech.  She replaces Tim Hilley, who retired after serving as chief for the last five years.