MILLEDGEVILLE —
For almost 11 months, Dray Swicord has served as the interim police chief for the City of Milledgeville. Swicord was officially named chief of police in Tuesday's City Council meeting.
Swicord said the interim period flew past. The mission of professional and safe service delivery remains, according to the new chief.
“Twenty-seven years ago I stood in this exact room to give the oath of a police officer. To come full circle is most definitely humbling. Without the support of family, friends and staff, I couldn't have done it,” Swicord said.
Mayor Richard Bentley said Swicord will continue to make the community proud of its police department.
“Personally, I cannot think of anyone more deserving of this,” Bentley said. “I certainly look forward to working with him in his new position.”
The new chief has more than 26 years of service to the city through various positions within the police department including officer, lieutenant, detective and captain.
He has held the interim post since Jan. 1 following the resignation last year of former chief Woodrow Blue. In a letter read to Council, City Manager Barry Jarrett expressed his confidence with the move.
“Dray's dedication and commitment to his job is evident by the numerous training certificates received throughout the years. He's aware of the importance of keeping up to date on the latest in policing procedures and passes that same importance on to his staff,” Jarrett said. “I am extremely confident in promoting him to be our chief of police and look forward to his continued success.”
With a new vehicle fleet coming in December, the Milledgeville Police Department will also have a different look on the streets.
Swicord is anxious to implement some more programs in an effort to make operations more efficient.
Easier ticketing for parking and patrol units are part of a mission to cut out the human error.
Future plans include a GPS interface instead of chalking tires downtown. The officer will enter data into the interface imbedding the time.
No guesswork needed on the officer or vehicle owner's part, according to Swicord. The tickets include the actual time.
Also, easy ticketing in patrol cars is on the horizon. Swicord said the system allows officer to scan a driver's license, which inputs all of the information onto the ticket that prints out like a receipt.
The chief of police looks to implement a Gang Resistance Education and Training (G.R.E.A.T.) program into Baldwin County schools as well.
G.R.E.A.T. is an evidence-based and effective gang and violence prevention program built around school-based, law enforcement officer-instructed classroom curricula. The program is intended as an immunization against delinquency, youth violence, and gang membership for children.
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