Gwinnett County Deputy Police Chief Brett West will take over the top job next month when current Chief Tom Doran retires after nearly three decades with the department, county officials announced Friay.
West is the sixth straight police chief to have started his career with the Gwinnett County Police Department, said County Administrator Glenn Stephens. He begins his new role on July 18.
West, who joined the department as a police officer in 1991, said he looks forward to leading the department of 878 sworn officers and nearly 300 support personnel.
“I am humbled by the confidence instilled in me by County leadership and by the men and women who dutifully serve and protect every day,” West said. “Together we will continue to uphold the highest standards of law enforcement services to Gwinnett County residents, businesses and visitors.”
As deputy chief, West most recently oversaw the administrative bureau consisting of two divisions and operational areas that include professional standards, fiscal management, -more-
emergency management, human resources, the training academy, property and evidence, records, facilities, fleet and E911.
He also has commanded the administrative services division, support operations division, uniform patrol division, West Precinct and Police Academy during the span of his career. His experience also includes special operations, traffic, K-9 and criminal investigations.
Doran, who retires after nearly three decades in the department, had high praise for the organization.
“I have been very fortunate to be a member of this great agency for nearly 27 years and will cherish every experience and memory,” Doran said. “As I close this chapter of my life, I can say without reservation that serving alongside the dedicated men and women of the Gwinnett County Police Department has been the greatest honor of my life.”
Stephens said the department has served the community well and is an excellent place to work under Doran's leadership.
“Tom’s strong character and steady leadership made him a valued member of the county’s senior management team, and we will all miss him. During Tom’s tenure, our police department has become essentially fully staffed, including those officers in training, something we have not seen in many years.” Stephens said.
Replacing West as deputy chief will be J.D. McClure, who began his career with the department in 1996 and currently serves as assistant chief. McClure’s promotion will place him over the department’s operations bureau, which consists of the Uniform Patrol Division and Criminal Investigations Division.
"The police department shines as an example of the succession planning and leadership development we strive to develop throughout our organization, and I am confident both Brett and J.D. will continue the tradition of setting the Gwinnett standard for excellence and community policing," Stephens said.
