EAST POINT, Ga. — After serving in law enforcement for over 30 years, the East Point police chief is retiring.
Tommy Gardner has worked with the East Point Police Department since he was hired on June 13, 1988 and he's been police chief since he was appointed in 2014.
On Thursday, Gardner announced he will retire on July 1.
“I am blessed to be in a position where I was able to work around some of the best police officers in the state of Georgia,” Gardner said in a statement. “I could not have done this without the support of our Mayor and Council and leadership of our City Manager Frederick Gardiner. Furthermore, none of this could’ve been possible without the care and constant support of my loving wife, Command Staff, officers and the community.”
A release from the police department says he served in the Marine Corps for three years before attending college and pursuing a career in law enforcement.
During his seven years as police chief, the Atlanta native started an education incentive plan for officers, implemented body-worn cameras, in-car cameras and tag readers for officers, according to the release.
Police say the city is currently in the process of hiring a new chief. There is no information on who those candidates are at this time.