A 30-year law enforcement veteran who currently serves as a captain at Hall County Sheriff’s Office will be the new police chief in Cleveland.
The Cleveland City Council voted Monday night to name Jeff Shoemaker of a Clermont address in White County to the city’s top law enforcement post.
Shoemaker previously worked at Whitfield County Sheriff’s Office, Jefferson and Gainesville police departments. His most recent time with Hall County Sheriff’s Office began in 2002 and he currently is responsible for the Jail Division.
He is a 2020 graduate of Liberty University with a bachelor of science in criminal justice and a minor in homeland security. In 2019, he attended the 275th session of the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Va. He has attained more than 5,800 Georgia POST training hours
Shoemaker replaces longtime Cleveland Police Chief John Foster.
The vote for Shoemaker was not unanimous. Councilman Bradley Greene voted no, but after the meeting said he fully supports the decision of the council - he simply voted his conscience. The start date for Shoemaker is to be determined, but Mayor Josh Turner said he hopes he can begin the job as soon as possible.
Other finalists for the post included Cleveland Police Maj. Aaron A. Weiland, who has spent his career with the department and was named interim chief after Foster’s retirement, and University of Georgia Police Lt. Courtney S. Gale.
The city received 21 applications for the position.
Dean Dyer from WRWH contributed to this article.
