Manager Blaine Williams has appointed Interim Chief Jerry Saulters as the Chief of the Athens-Clarke County Police Department. Saulters was named Interim Chief in March 2022 after the retirement of former Police Chief Cleveland Spruill and has served with the Athens-Clarke County Police Department for nearly 25 years. He will begin his duties immediately.  

“Jerry Saulters has the heart of a servant and guardian, and he is a terrific human being,” says Williams. “I believe he is the best person to lead our sworn and civilian staff as Chief of Police of the Athens-Clarke County Police Department, as well as to continue to build trust, respect, and relationships in the community with all of our residents.” 

As part of the process of selecting a new Police Chief, Williams collected public input from residents, as well as current and past police officers from patrol officers to command staff. During the spring, residents and staff provided nearly 600 submissions. 

“I am humbled by this opportunity to lead the Athens-Clarke County Police Department as the Chief of Police,” says Saulters. “Working alongside our outstanding men and women and serving the Athens-Clarke County community for the last 24 years has been an honor and a privilege. The Athens-Clarke County Police Department and those who serve this community are among the best in the world, and we will continue collaborating with our community to reduce crime and enhance public trust.” 

As Police Chief, Saulters will lead a department of over 330 authorized sworn and civilian positions with a $27 million budget. 

Saulters started his law enforcement career with the Athens-Clarke County Police Department in 1998. Prior to joining law enforcement, he served in the United States Army.  

Saulters is a graduate of the Southern Police Institute Administrative Officers Course at the University of Louisville and the Columbus State University professional management program. He has over 3,000 hours of advanced law enforcement training and graduated in 2022 from the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police’s Chief Executive Training program. 

After joining the ACCGov Police Department, Saulters initially spent seven years in the Uniform Division as a patrolman before serving in and eventually supervising the Criminal Investigations Division Robbery/Homicide Unit. He later served as a shift commander for the midnight shift of the West Precinct; transferred to the command staff to oversee the Office of Professional Standards, Recruitment, and Crime Prevention; commanded the Criminal Investigations Division; and was promoted to Deputy Chief in 2019 in the Operations Bureau and the Administrative Bureau.  

Saulters was named the Sherm Applebaum Officer of the Year in 2012 for outstanding professional and community service by the Athens Rotary Club. 

For more information on the Athens-Clarke County Police Department, visit www.accgov.com/police.

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High-resolution photo of Police Chief Jerry Saulters