The Covington News
Faces of Newton County 2015
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JASON CRIPPS
From Porterdale and back again
J
ason Cripps has lived in England, Porterdale,
Marietta and Pine Lake. The only community he has
come back to a second time and made his home is
Porterdale.
Cripps, who was named Porterdale’s Police Chief in September, has seen the
town grow from when he first started there as an officer in 1999, and has grown
to be a part of it.
“I’m proud to be chief; this is a growing town and the recession is kind of
working its way away and seems like the growth of business is coming back,”
Cripps said. “The economy is booming in our town you can go to the river access
and kayaking and the gym has been remodeled now.”
Porterdale also just added lights in a new crosswalk.
“Things like that didn’t happen in the past; now they happen,” Cripps said. “It
doesn’t make a whole lot of difference, but it does for someone like me, that’s in
public safety. It makes a difference for the kids walking.”
When Cripps first came to Porterdale, he said there were just two patrol cars,
all reports had to be hand written, the officers supplied their own weapons and
vests, there were no cameras and there were just two or three radios on an old
system for the department to use.
“It was like the Mayberry days,” Cripps said.
Cripps moved from part-time to full-time in Porterdale, before moving on to a
bigger job with more benefits and higher pay in November, 2003, moving to the
city of Eastpoint.
“I wanted to show to myself I could do it in a big town,” Cripps said.
At Eastpoint, Cripps first worked with a police dog, a German Shepard, Kappas. In 2008, Porterdale came calling again, offering Cripps another position, this
time working with K9 Goden Retriever Sgt. Bo.
From there Cripps worked his way up the ranks to corporal, sergeant and
lieutenant before Chief Geoff Jacobs resigned in June. The Porterdale Police
Department not only has a new chief now, but also all matching cars, retirement
packages, insurance packages, holiday pay, two K9s and two Humvees, one set
up for river rescue with a boat.
“I’ve got a good boss and we have a good political backbone that supports
me and the town,” Cripps said. “It’s a positive environment that is only getting
better every day. It’s just every day there’s some form of growth. Everyday there’s
something better.”
Cripps and his wife Holly are doing their own part in making things better, not
only in Porterdale but around the state and now worldwide.
In 2008 there were some officers who had outdated vests, and the Jason and
Holly decided to organize a motorcycle ride, and were able to raise $3,000. That
was the beginning of We Ride to Provide, an organization run by Holly. The next
year, the ride raised $4,000 for equipment, and the third year even more money
for a K9 memorial. The ride now helps get first aid kits for K9s who are wounded in duty. The total amount of first aid kits given by We Ride to Provide is 403,
reaching as far as Europe.
“Every day, every year, every month it gets bigger,” Cripps said. “Hopefully one
day it will be worldwide."
“If we can save one dog, if I can change one child’s life then that’s what
Continued on PAGE 18
Congratulations Teri Haler
& Police Chief Cripps!
Your Dedicated Service to the City of Porterdale
is Appreciated Beyond Measure.
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