This collection includes videos and transcripts of oral history interviews with retired and active duty law enforcement officers. Students and faculty from the History Department at Georgia Southern University conducted the interviews from 2014-18. The goal of the collection is to document the evolution of law enforcement in Georgia.
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Interview with Bill Hutson
James C. Wright
Interview conducted by James C. Wright at the 2019 POAG Convention, Marriot Riverfront hotel in Savannah. Bill has 40 years experience in law enforcement, with 27 years as Cobb County Sheriff and 3 years as Executive Director of POST. He was also President of the POAG 1986-1987. In this interview, he discusses his involvement in the Dixie Mafia case and Billy Sunday Birt, as well as some of his successes in Cobb County.
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Interview with Charles Sikes (Second Interview)
Michael Van Wagenen and James C. Wright
Interview conducted by Michael Van Wagenen at the 2019 POAG Convention, Marriot Riverfront hotel in Savannah. Charles served in the GBI from 1971 to 2001, altogether 30 years, entirely in the coastal region. He simultaneously served in the US Army National Guard, and after retirement as a civilian contractor with the Department of Defense for 5 years. In this interview, Charles discusses his experience as the World Conference Center Venue Commander for the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games.
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Interview with Dennis Bell
James C. Wright
Interview conducted by James C. Wright at the 2019 POAG Convention, Marriot Riverfront hotel in Savannah. Dennis attended the police academy in 1989 and has served as a Police Chief for several agencies. Today he is a Reserve Captain for Comers Police Department and a Major with the Oglethorpe County Sheriff Office. In this interview, Dennis discusses law enforcement public relations and some of the stresses of being a peace officer.
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Interview with Doyte Chaffin
James C. Wright
Interview conducted by James C. Wright at the 2019 POAG Convention, Marriot Riverfront hotel in Savannah. Doyte is a Game Warden Captain with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, where he has been serving for 25 years. He is originally from Virginia. In this interview, Doyte explains what it is like to be a Conservation Ranger in eastern Georgia.
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Interview with Greg Countryman
James C. Wright
Interview conducted by James C. Wright at the 2019 POAG Convention, Marriot Riverfront hotel in Savannah. Greg has been in law enforcement since 1990 and has been regularly elected as Muscogee County Marshal since 2004. He is highly involved with children and heads a mentoring program called the Junior Marshals. In this interview, Greg discusses his youth program and the technological direction law enforcement is taking.
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Interview with Greg Ramey (Second Interview)
Michael Van Wagenen and James C. Wright
Interview conducted by Michael Van Wagenen at the 2019 POAG Convention, Marriot Riverfront hotel in Savannah. Greg worked with the GBI from 1985 to 2019, altogether 33 years. He retired as the Special Agent in Charge of Region 1 (northwest Georgia). Greg was previously interviewed in 2018, but requested to conduct this second interview to specifically discuss the Tristate Crematory Case. The case began in 2002 and ended with the recovery of 339 bodies, 114 of which were never identified.
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Interview with Harold Thomas
James C. Wright and Michael Van Wagenen
Interview conducted by James C. Wright with assistance from Michael Van Wagenen at the 2019 POAG Convention, Marriot Riverfront hotel in Savannah. Harold began his law enforcement career at the Atlanta Police Department in 1957 and transferred to the new Fulton County Police Department at its inception in 1975. He retired in 1995 after 38 years of service. In this interview, Harold discusses the many changes he has seen in law enforcement including racial relations, crime evolution, and police operations.
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Interview with Joe Chapman
James C. Wright
Interview conducted by James C. Wright at the 2019 POAG Convention, Marriot Riverfront hotel in Savannah. Joe has been in law enforcement for 33 years, fifteen of them as the Sheriff of Walton County. He also served in the US armed forces and deployed with the US Army to Iraq in 2003. In this interview, Joe mentions his predecessors' involvement in the Dixie Mafia cases and with Billy Sunday Birt, as well as the challenges of being a sheriff.
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Interview with Mike Ayers
James C. Wright
Interview conducted by James C. Wright at the 2019 POAG Convention, Marriot Riverfront hotel in Savannah. Mike entered law enforcement in 1989, primarily serving in the GBI. He was also appointed as Executive Director of POST by Governor Kemp in May 2019. In this interview he shares his experiences in drug enforcement and discusses his opinion on POST and law enforcement ethics.
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Interview with Scott Klingel
James C. Wright
Interview conducted by James C. Wright at the 2019 POAG Convention, Marriot Riverfront hotel in Savannah. Scott started his law enforcement career in 1987 at the Columbia County Sheriff Department and became a Georgia Game Warden in 1989. He calls being a Game Warden his "dream job." In this interview, Scott discusses his involvement in the Albany Flood recovery operations, as well as the joy and cautions in becoming a Game Warden.
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Interview with Stan Elrod
James C. Wright
Interview conducted by James C. Wright at the 2019 POAG Convention, Marriot Riverfront hotel in Savannah. Stan began his career as a Game Warden immediately after graduating college and was voted Game Warden of the Year in 1999. His job has taken him to several offices and locations throughout the state. In this interview, Stan discusses some of the stressors in being a Game Warden and the dangers associated with nature conservation.
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Interview with Tom Davis
Michael Van Wagenen and James C. Wright
Interview conducted by Michael Van Wagenen at the 2019 POAG Convention, Marriot Riverfront hotel in Savannah. Tom started his law enforcement career with the GBI in 1982 and retired after 30 years of service. He was also the Assistant Venue Commander for Centennial Park at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. In this interview, Tom discusses the Centennial Park bombing and changes he has seen in law enforcement during his tenure.
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Interview with Chris G. Wigginton
Anna McIntyre
Interview conducted by Anna McIntyre at the Savannah Marriot Riverfront hotel on August 21, 2018. Chris started his law enforcement career with the Carrolton Police Department in 1993 and joined the Georgia State Patrol in 1995. He further became an instructor at the Georgia Public Safety Training Center in 2014. In this interview, Chris discusses the changes he has seen in law enforcement technology and some of his most memorable cases as a trooper.
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Interview with Christopher T. Hodge
Anna McIntyre
Interview conducted by Anna McIntyre at the Savannah Marriot Riverfront hotel on August 21, 2018. Chris started his law enforcement career as a Game Warden in 2000 and, at the time of this video, currently serves as Captain of the Macon office. He comes from a family of law enforcement officers and believes it is in his blood. In this interview, Chris elaborates on the technological changes he has seen in his career and the expectations the public has about law enforcement.
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Interview with Dr. Rick Lanford
Anna McIntyre
Interview conducted by Anna McIntyre at the Savannah Marriot Riverfront hotel on August 20, 2018. Dr. Lanford attended seminary at Emory University and began his law enforcement ministry with the Newton County Sheriff Office in 1981. His father, grandfather, and great-grandfather have all been affiliated with law enforcement, so Dr. Lanford counts the field as a family legacy. In this interview, he discusses the stress that police chaplains and officers face every day and the family environment among peace officers.
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Interview with Eric D. Gaustad
Anna McIntyre
Interview conducted by Anna McIntyre at the POAG Conference in the Savannah Marriot Riverfront hotel on August 21, 2018. Eric began his law enforcement career as a military policeman with the U.S. Marines and transitioned to civilian law enforcement in 2000. His grandfather was a deputy in Montana in the 1920s. In this interview, Eric discusses the changes he has seen in technology and how it has affected law enforcement.
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Interview with Garry Moore
Anna McIntyre
Interview conducted by Anna McIntyre at the POAG Conference at the Savannah Marriot Riverfront hotel on August 21, 2018. Garry retired from the GBI as an investigator after 25 years of service. He also served his country simultaneously in the U.S. Air Force for 23 years. In this interview, Garry discusses the progressive role of technology and the importance of becoming active in the community.
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Interview with George A. Ellis
Anna McIntyre
Interview conducted by Anna McIntyre at the POAG Conference at the Savannah Marriot Riverfront hotel on August 21, 2018. George is a retired Colonel of the Georgia State Troopers with 34 years of service. He comes from a law enforcement family, as his father was the Chief of Police in Milledgeville for 25 years. In this interview, George discusses his experiences on the road and in strategic planning for several special events throughout Georgia.
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Interview with Gregory A. Ramey
Anna McIntyre
Interview conducted by Anna McIntyre in Savannah, Georgia, on August 21, 2018. Greg joined the Georgia Bureau of Investigations in 1985 and has throughouly enjoyed his job. He originally wanted to be a Game Warden, but found his calling in investigations. In this interview, Greg discusses his faith and inspirations in law enforcement, as well as some of his most memorable cases such as the Tristate Crematory case.
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Interview with John "Dal" Cannady
Anna McIntyre
Interview conducted by Anna McIntyre at the Savannah Marriot Riverfront hotel on August 20, 2018. Dal works for the Savannah news as the media liaison to law enforcement. He has spent his career networking with law enforcement throughout the state. In this interview, Dal discusses the trust officers place in giving him information, as well as some of his most memorable stories such as the "Tomato Patch Murder."
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Interview with Jon P. Long
Anna McIntyre
Interview conducted by Anna McIntyre at the POAG Conference in Savannah on August 21, 2018. Jon is a retired state trooper and currently serves as a sheriffs deputy. His father was also a deputy of the Long County Sheriffs Office. In this interview, Jon discusses his experiences with Civil Rights events and tragedies that have shaped his career.
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Interview with Willie C. Bolton
Anna McIntyre
Interview conducted by Anna McIntyre at the POAG Conference in Savannah on August 21, 2018. Willie was in law enforement for 41 years: 21 as a sheriff deputy in Clark County and 20 years as a warden at Athens-Clark County Prison. He has also been a member of the POAG since 1974. In this interview, Willie discusses the changes he has seen in technology, particularly in radio communications, and his philosophy on community policing.
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Interview with Charles Herbert McMichen
Micheal Van Wagenen
Interview conducted by Michael Van Wagenen in Waverly, Georgia, on January 23, 2017. Charles entered law enforcement in 1965 and retired after 49 years of service in the Georgia Bureau of Investigations (2014). He was also trained by the FBI to be the GBI's first sniper agent. In this interview, Charles discusses his involvement on drug cases and his experience in leading SWAT teams.
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Interview with David T. Mitchell
Anna McIntyre
This interview was conducted by Anna McIntyre in Savannah, Georgia, at the Savannah Marriott Riverfront Hotel. David discusses a double muder that he worked while being a GBI agent in Douglas, Georgia. He also discusses the evolution of the GBI during his career. The last big case he was apart of was the Tri-state crematorium case.
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Interview with Dell E. Kirkland
Micheal Van Wagenen
Interview conducted by Michael Van Wagenen at Waverly, Georgia, on January 23, 2017. Dell retired from the Georgia Bureau of Investigations after 31 years of service. He has worked in drug enforcement, homicide investigation, and natural disaster recovery. In this interview, Dell discusses his career in the GBI, especially working marijuana cases and the Albany floods.
