LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. — Gwinnett County Police Chief A.A. "Butch" Ayers is stepping down, and Deputy Chief Tom Doran has been named his replacement.
Ayers was hired by the Gwinnett County Police Department as a police officer in 1984. After a series of promotions that had him leading numerous divisions in the department, he was named chief in 2014.
“I have decided that the time is right to retire and pass the torch to my successor,” Ayers said in a statement. “The men and women of the Gwinnett County Police Department are the finest anywhere in law enforcement and it has been a great honor to serve with them.”
His replacement, Deputy Chief Tom Doran, has served in the department since 1993. He will take command on Nov. 15.
"Doran is the fifth police chief in a row to begin his career as a police officer and rise among the ranks to assume the role of police chief," said Gwinnett County Administrator Glenn Stephens in the statement. "I credit the superior level of expertise that exists within the leadership in our police department, including the tremendous leadership of Chief Ayers, for this tradition."
Doran takes over a changing Gwinnett County Police Department. The department is in the middle of a hiring push to keep up with the growing population of the county and embracing new technologies in community policing. The department recently partnered with the social platform Neighbors by Ring to extend their reach to more residents.
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