GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — Gwinnett County Administrator Glenn Stephens announced over the weekend that Deputy Chief Brett West will succeed Police Chief Tom Doran, who will retire after nearly three decades of service to the county.
“I have been very fortunate to be a member of this great agency for nearly 27 years and will cherish every experience and memory,” Doran said. “As I close this chapter of my life, I can say without reservation that serving alongside the dedicated men and women of the Gwinnett County Police Department has been the greatest honor of my life.”
Stephens pointed out that West is the sixth consecutive police chief to have begun his career with the Gwinnett County Police Department. The 29-year veteran assumes his new role July 18. Replacing him as deputy chief will be J.D. McClure, who began his career with the department in 1996 and currently serves as assistant chief. McClure’s promotion will place him over the department’s operations bureau, which consists of the Uniform Patrol Division and Criminal Investigations Division.
“Tom’s strong character and steady leadership made him a valued member of the county’s senior management team, and we will all miss him. During Tom’s tenure, our police department has become essentially fully staffed, including those officers in training, something we have not seen in many years. This reflects the department’s reputation as an excellent place of employment and for service to our community,” said Stephens. “Fortunately we have in Brett a deeply knowledgeable and respected public safety professional to take the helm of the department. The police department shines as an example of the succession planning and leadership development we strive to develop throughout our organization, and I am confident both Brett and J.D. will continue the tradition of setting the Gwinnett standard for excellence and community policing.”
West, who joined the Gwinnett County Police Department as a police officer in 1991, said he looks forward to leading the department of 878 sworn officers and nearly 300 support personnel.
“I am humbled by the confidence instilled in me by County leadership and by the men and women who dutifully serve and protect every day,” West said. “Together we will continue to uphold the highest standards of law enforcement services to Gwinnett County residents, businesses and visitors.”
As deputy chief, West most recently oversaw the administrative bureau consisting of two divisions and operational areas that include professional standards, fiscal management, human resources, the training academy, property and evidence, records, facilities, fleet and E911. His experience also includes special operations, traffic, K-9 and criminal investigations.
West holds a Master of Public Administration from Columbus State University and has logged nearly 3,200 hours of specialized training, which includes graduating from both the 247th Session of the FBI National Academy in 2011 and Class XV of the Georgia Law Enforcement Command College in 2005.
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