GACP State News and Announcements - Spring 2025

AROUND THE STATE

District 1

Chief Frank Strickland and the Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (ABAC) Police Department were awarded Georgia Law Enforcement State Certification on December 30, 2024.

Richard Troutman was named as the Ashburn Police Chief on February 6, 2025. He has 20 years of law enforcement experience and has served with the department for nine years.  He replaces Richard Purvis who resigned in December after 15 years of service and two years as chief.

Castonio M. Lucas was named as the Acting Chief for the Vienna Police Department on February 17, 2025.  He replaced Howard Wayne Hubbard who resigned December27, 2024.

District 3

The Columbus Airport Authority named Jarred Allen Hubbard as the Acting Police Chief on December 13, 2024.  He replaced Kelvin Mullins.

District 4

On December 10, 2024, Governor Brian P. Kemp reappointed Middle Georgia State University Police Chief James “Tripp” Mitchell to a four-year term as a member of the Georgia Board of Private Detective and Securities Agencies.

Brian Keith Scott was named as the Soperton Police Chief on January 1, 2025. He replaces James Mills who had served as with the department for 13 years and the last three as chief.

District 5

Angela Smith was named as the Acting Chief of the Brunswick Police Department on February 1, 2025.  She replaced Chief Kevin Jones who retired January 31, 2025, after 30 years of service with the department, the  last 10 as the chief.

District 6

Chief Gil Ballard and the Garden City Police Department were awarded Recertification under the Georgia Law Enforcement State Certification Program on December 30, 2024.

Trey Drawdy was named as the Georgia Southern University Police Chief on January 1, 2025. Chief Drawdy previously served as the East Georgia College Police Chief. He replaced Chief Laura McCullough who retired November 1, 2024.

Jason Campbell Jones was named as the Stapleton Police Chief on January 1, 2025.  He is also the Bartow Police Chief. Chief Jones replaced Robert Hoffman who had served as chief for the past three years.

Nathan Tirey was named as the Ogeechee Technical College Police Chief on December 2, 2024.  He has 15 years of law enforcement experience.

Donald McKinley Lewis was named as the Acting Chief for the Metter Police Department. Chief Lewis has 24 years of law enforcement experience and has served with Metter for eight years.  He replaces Chief Robert Shore who resigned after 33 years of law enforcement experience and seven years as the Metter Police Chief.

District 7

David Jesse Wright was named as the Interim Police Chief for East Georgia State College Police Department.  He replaced Trey Drawdy who was selected as the Chief of the Georgia Southern Police Department.

Sherwin Bell was named as the Acting Police Chief for the Adrian Police Department on February 2, 2025.  Chief Bell has 13 years of law enforcement experience. 

District 8

Chief Cliff Carson and the Dalton Police Department were awarded Recertification under the Georgia Law Enforcement State Certification Program on December 30, 2024.

Daniel King was named as the Interim Police Chief for Ringgold Police Department on January 15, 2025.  He replaced Jennifer Jones who served as the chief since July 2020.

Robert Bryon Reeves was named as the Fairmount Police Chief on January 31, 2025.  He replaced Chief Arnold Gillman who resigned on December 20, 2024.

Randy Lacey was named as the Cave Spring Police Chief on January 15, 2025.  Chief Lacey has 36 years of law enforcement experience.

Brad Allen Loyd was named as the White Police Chief on March 3, 2025. Chief Loyd has 10 years of law enforcement experience. He replaced Jason Smith who resigned on December 26, 2024, after serving as chief for four years.

District 9

Sheriff Gerald Couch and the Hall County Sheriff’s Office were awarded Recertification under the Georgia Law Enforcement State Certification Program on December 30, 2024.

Chief Stephen Knowles and the Gwinnett County Fire Department were awarded Recertification under the Georgia Law Enforcement State Certification Program on December 30, 2024.

On January 30, 2025, Governor Brian P. Kemp reappointed Toccoa Police Chief Bruce Carlisle as a member of the Board of Corrections.

On January 30, 2025, Governor Brian P. Kemp reappointed Lumpkin County Sheriff Stacy M. Jarrard as an At-Large Representative of the Board of Corrections.

Darren Scarborough was appointed as the Comer Police Chief on February 24, 2025.  Chief Scarborough has 23 years of law enforcement experience. He replaces Dennis Bell who had served as chief since July 2023. Collectively, Chief Bell had 37 years of law enforcement experience, 18 as chief.

Brian Hall was named as the Interim Police Chief for the Commerce Police Department on February 14, 2025. Chief Kenneth Harmon, resigned after serving 26 years with the department and the last three as the chief.

Ronald Baumes Jr. was named as the Sky Valley Police Chief on February 17, 2025. Chief Baumes has 18 years of law enforcement experience and has been with the department for 13 years.

Steven Bannister was named as the Acting Chief for the Jefferson Police Department. on February 9, 2025. Chief Bannister has served with the department for 35 years. He replaces Chief Joseph Wirthman who retired after serving as chief for 18 years as well as the 2018 – 2019 GACP President.

District 10

Director Jared Smith and the Georgia Department of Driver Services were awarded Georgia Law Enforcement State Certification on December 30, 2024.

James Morgan was named as the Interim Police Chief for the Zebulon Police Department on January 27, 2025. 

Governor Brian P. Kemp issued an Executive Order directing Flags on the State Capitol Building and in Cobb and Fulton County be Lowered to Half-Staff on February 12, 2025, in Honor and as a Mark of Respect for the Memory of Roswell Police Officer Jeremy R. Labont, who was killed in the Line-of-Duty on Friday, February 7, 2025.

On February 12, 2025, Governor Brian P. Kemp named Georgia Department of Public Safety Lt. Colonel Josh Lamb as the Director of the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency. He replaced Director Chris Stallings who was named by U. S. President Donald J. Trump as Assistant Administrator for Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the U. S. Small Business Administration (SBA).

Jonesboro Police Chief Todd Coyt, resigned on February 19, 2025. Major Christopher Cato was placed in command of the department.

District 11

 On December 18, 2024, Governor Brian P. Kemp named Chris Harvey as Executive Director of the Georgia Peace Officers Standards and Training Council (POST) to replace Director Mike Ayers who retired on December 31, 2024.

Chief Marty Ferrell and the Canton Police Department were awarded Recertification under the Georgia Law Enforcement State Certification Program on December 30, 2024.

Chief Anthony Coleman and the Georgia State University Police Department were awarded Recertification under the Georgia Law Enforcement State Certification Program on December 30, 2024.

Mark Cheatham was named as the Acworth Police Chief on December 19, 2024. Chief Cheatham has 26 years of law enforcement experience and has served with the department for 23 years. He replaced Chief Jesse Evans who was named as the Chief Assistant District Attorney for Cobb County District Attorney’s Office.

On January 1, 2025, City of Stone Mountain Police Chief, James Westerfield, was selected as the President for the Dekalb County Police Chiefs Association.  In addition, Dunwoody Deputy Chief, Oliver Fladrich, was named as Vice President, and Pine Lake Police Chief Sariai Y’Hudah-Green was selected as Treasurer.

Orrrin ‘Scott’ Hamilton resigned from the Austell Police Department on March 3, 2025.  Chief Hamilton had served with the department since 2022.  Prior to joining the department, he retired from the Cobb County Police Department where he retired as the Deputy Chief after 25 years of service.

Gregory Padrick was named as the Interim Police Chief for DeKalb County after Chief Mirtha Ramos stepped down on February 20, 2025, after five years. Chief Padrick has served with the DeKalb County Police Department for 27 years and has been an Assistant Chief for the past six years.