around the state
District 1 Chief Shane Edmisten and the Douglas Police Department were awarded Certification with the Georgia Law Enforcement State Certification Program on October 14 , 2020 .
District 2 On October 22 , 2020 , Cora K . Baker was named Chief of the Arlington Police Department .
On Thursday , October 29 , the City of Thomasville named John Letteney as the new Chief of Police . Chief Letteney begins work on January 1 , 2021 . Chief Letteney was formerly the police chief in Apex , North Carolina .
On Tuesday , November 3 , 2020 , Albany Police Chief Michael Persley was appointed to the International Association of Chiefs of Police ( IACP ) State of Georgia representative for the Mid-Size Agencies Division .
On November 6 , 2020 , Chief Jimmy Peeples and the Boston Police Department were awarded 3rd Place for the Governor ’ s Office of Highway Safety , 2019 - 2020 Governor ’ s Challenge Award for Agencies with 1 – 10 Officers .
Police leaders across the state work hard every day to make their communities safe and influenc
District 3 Chief Richard T . Boren and the Columbus Police Department were award were awarded Recertification with the Georgia Law Enforcement State Certification Program on October 14 , 2020 .
On October 31 , 2020 , Columbus Police Chief Richard T . Boren retired with a total 49 years of service and 16 years as the chief . At the Executive Board Meeting in Forsyth on November 25 , 2020 , Chief Boren was awarded Life Membership .
Chief Brian Harr announced his retirement from the Hogansville Police Department on Tuesday , November 4 , 2020 . Lt . Jeff Sheppard was named as interim chief .
Freddie D . Blackmon was appointed as chief with Columbus Police Department on November 17 , 2020 . Chief Blackmon joined the police department in 1986 and rose through the ranks . He served as Major for the last six years .
On November 22 , 2020 , LaGrange Police Chief Lou Dekmar was selected to serve on the Council on Criminal Justice ’ s Task Force on Policing . The task force will work to reduce violence , increase accountability , and strengthening trust between police and the communities they serve .
District 4 On Thursday , November 5 , 2020 , Centerville Police Chief Chuck Hadden retired from the department . Chief Hadden had served with the Centerville Police Department since 2007 and the last four years as chief .
On November 6 , 2020 , Chief Larry Milner and the Tennille Police Department were awarded 2nd Place for the Governor ’ s Office of Highway Safety , 2019 - 2020 Governor ’ s Challenge Award for Agencies with 1 – 10 Officers .
The Centerville Police Department was awarded 1st Place for the Governor ’ s Office of Highway Safety , 2019 - 2020 Governor ’ s Challenge Award for Agencies with 11 – 25 Officers on November 6 , 2020 .
On November 6 , 2020 , Chief Steve Lynn and the Perry Police Department were awarded 3rd Place for the Governor ’ s Office of Highway Safety , 2019 – 2020 Governor ’ s Challenge Award for Agencies with 26 – 45 Officers .
Chief John Wagner and the Warner Robins Police Department were awarded 3rd Place for the Governor ’ s Office of Highway Safety , 2019 – 2020 Governor ’ s Challenge Award for Agencies with 101 – 200 Officers as well as the State ’ s Awards for Rookie of the Year and the best Motorcycle Safety program .
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On November 17 , 2020 , Jamaal Hicks began as Chief of Police for the Ivey Police Department .