CLARKSTON, Ga. — The Clarkston Police Department has a new assistant chief. This comes after the department grappled with its dwindling police force last year.
The city announced in July that Xavier Todd was appointed to the position, bringing 25 years of law enforcement experience. The Atlanta native started his career in 1997 with the Morris Brown Police Department and has had a plethora of roles with different agencies since then.
That includes his time working with Lithonia as captain and interim chief of police. More recently, the city said he worked in the Morrow Police Department, earning accolades for his investigative work.
11Alive reported last summer that the police department was facing having just nine officers, less than half of the 21 officers authorized for the department.
Since then, Todd said the department has been hiring. He said the morale has also been positive since he's been there.
"I can truly say that everybody's excited with the appointment," he said. " I, of course, and ... other people that's in the department, and they're looking forward to adapting to some changes that they've been looking forward to for a while."
He hopes the department can continue to bridge the gap between the community. He's looking forward to continuing to move forward.
"The past is just what it is, the past," he said. "I look forward to people that's not in the city that's in the surrounding areas to look forward to the changes was coming within the community of Clarkson.