Speaker - May 16, 2014
GARY D. GEORGE, formerly of Princeton, Missouri has served over four decades in a variety of assignments in law enforcement. George’s career began in 1970 with his appointment as a police officer for the City of Independence, Missouri. George worked his way up through the ranks serving as a patrolman, detective, sergeant, captain and assistant chief. In 1997 George was appointed as police chief for the City of Independence, Missouri police department.
As a recognized innovator, educator and practitioner of policing George was instrumental in chairing a thirteen member police executive board of the Eastern Jackson County, MO Drug Task Force which supported a county wide quarter cent sales tax to fight the war on drugs. The Director also served on the board of the Western Missouri Regional Police Academy, which formed a partnership with the Metropolitan Community College in constructing an $11 million police academy in Missouri.
In 2001, George sought new challenges and opportunities. After an extensive national search, George was selected by the City of Alpharetta, Georgia to be its new police chief. Chief George immediately set out to make the Alpharetta police department into one of the nation’s top organizations. Chief George changed the command structure, improved communications and implemented a strategy within the patrol shifts that provided the city with more officers on the street while allowing officers more time with their families. As is evidenced by the department having minimum openings, police officers from around the state and the nation seek out Alpharetta as a place where their career can be formed.
On July 1, 2006, the police, fire and 911 dispatch services within the City of Alpharetta were consolidated into the Alpharetta Department of Public Safety. Chief George was appointed as the first Director of Public Safety in Alpharetta’s history. Today Director George governs a staff of over 250 public safety professionals with a budget in excess of 26.5 million dollars. The Alpharetta Department of Public Safety is recognized as one of the nations top nationally accredited public safety agencies attracting candidates from a wide variety of states.
In order to attract and bring the best possible public safety recruits to the City of Alpharetta, Director George worked with Reinhardt University and the Georgia POST (Police Officers Standards and Training) Council in establishing a basic mandate police academy through the collegiate setting of Reinhardt University’s Alpharetta campus. Students graduating from Reinhardt’s basic police academy will now earn 15 college credit hours from Reinhardt University while earning their police officer certification. This is the first program in the state whereupon Georgia Police Officer candidates are able to earn college credit while attending Georgia’s first and only accredited private police academy.
George holds a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice Administration and a master’s degree in Public Affairs “Public Management” from Park University in Missouri. George is a graduate of the FBI National Academy, FBI Law Enforcement Executive Development Course (LEEDS), and Northwestern University’s School of Police Staff
and Command. Director George is an adjunct professor at two college institutions and has taught and authored many courses in Ethics and Statutory Constitutional Law.