The city of Toccoa has named a new police chief following the resignation of Jimmy Mize in mid-September.
Mize served as the city’s police chief for more than half-a-decade. Mize could not be reached for comment regarding his resignation, and Toccoa Mayor Gail Fry said he didn’t provide a reason before he resigned.
Now Habersham obtained a copy of Mize’s resignation letter after filing an open records request with the city.
“It’s with a host of mixed emotions that I am turning in my resignation of my position as chief of police with the city of Toccoa,” Mize wrote on Sept. 13. “It’s been a great experience. I’ve always tried to represent the city and its citizens in the best way possible.”
Charlie Littleton was named interim police chief after Mize’s departure.
Toccoa’s City Commission announced last week that Stephens County Elections Director Bruce Carlisle – who has an extensive career in law enforcement – will step in as police chief on Dec. 11.
Fry said Carlisle’s selection came after an extensive hiring process involving a GBI panel that whittled down a pool of 18 candidates. The panel consisted of retired GBI agents and former police chiefs throughout Georgia.
Carlisle’s salary won’t be decided by city commissioners until a vote to hire Carlisle is taken in December, according to Fry.
Background/experience
Carlisle, 66, has acted as Stephens County’s election director for the last two years. But his experience in law enforcement dates back more than 40 years.
Carlisle, born and raised in the Tampa Bay area, has been a Toccoa resident for 32 years. Before that, Carlisle began his law enforcement career at the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office in Tampa, where he retired before he and his wife relocated to North Georgia.
After a brief stint with Toccoa’s Police Department, Carlisle transferred to the Stephens County Sheriff’s Office after he moved to Georgia. In 1996, he launched a bid for Stephens County Sheriff but came up short. Carlisle then joined the Lavonia Police Department in 2000. He climbed the ranks to police chief in 2008, where he remained until 2022.
Carlisle has been appointed to multiple state boards over the years – including Georgia’s Board of Public Safety as well as the Board of Corrections.
Priorities
Carlisle described his philosophy as one based on community policing and fostering positive relationships with citizens and businesses alike. He said he’ll also look to bring a more inclusive culture within the department and among the city’s 26 officers.
“Partnerships and relationships are vital in building a strong police department,” Carlisle said. “Our officers are our most vital commodity we have. I believe the culture of the police department is one of a family. That’s one of the first things we’ll be doing is going in and looking at the culture of the police department.”
With the department down six positions, Carlisle hopes to see the number of officers on staff reach full capacity (32) under his leadership. “I want to make sure (officers) feel valued as a person,” he said. “I want to get in there and make sure everybody feels that way and understands that.”
To enhance community policing efforts, Carlisle said he’ll work to bolster the department’s presence in the community by visiting churches, “going door-to-door and meeting people.”
“Then, you can implement coffee with the cops and having different community events,” Carlisle said. “I’m a strong believer in the faith-based community being involved in it…you have to build the trust and the legitimacy of the police department. If that trust has been lost, you’ve got to build that trust back.”
Carlisle will maintain an “open door policy” with both employees, officers and the public, he said. “I want them to come to me if they feel like their needs have not been met,” he added.
Attacking gang activity with ‘full-force’
Toccoa is known as a hotbed for gang activity in North Georgia. With between seven and eight active gangs in Stephens County, some of the top names include white supremacist gangs like the GhostFace Gangsters and the Aryan Brotherhood, and then there’s multiple factions of Bloods, Crips and the Gangster Disciples.
Carlisle said he’ll look to counter and reduce gang activity there in the seat of Stephens County, striving to “curtail that activity on a more individual and more intimate basis.”
“You want to change the mindset. It’s going to be putting out fire for awhile,” he said. “On the other hand, you’ve got to get to these kids at a younger age where you show them and teach them and walk alongside them, (so) they don’t get involved in gangs…now, will that work every time? Not every time.”
Ultimately, under Carlisle’s leadership, the Toccoa Police Department will practice a “zero tolerance” policy when it comes to gangs. In addition to working with multiple agencies to combat street gangs, Carlisle said he’ll ensure (felony) gang statutes are enforced on those involved with gang-related crimes – which often lengthen sentences after convictions.
“We’ll attack it head-on,” he said. “We’ll identify the leaders of these criminal (organizations). They have to understand we will not tolerate that in our community, and it’s going to be a different day.”
State certification
Carlisle, once the chairman of the state certification committee with the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police, said he’ll also look to restore Toccoa Police Department’s state certification. He said the city hasn’t had a state certified agency in over five years.
In doing so, Carlisle will work closely with state agencies to update the department’s standards and regain certification. Those standards, according to Carlisle, include changes to protocols and training, technology, patrol tactics, investigation strategies, use-of-force and administrative duties.
“I’ve done it before in the city of Lavonia,” Carlisle said. “It was successful there, and I’m confident it will be successful here.”
A ‘favorable’ fit
Fry expressed confidence in Carlisle and believes he’ll prove to be an ideal fit for Toccoa’s Police Department.
“I feel confident he’ll do a good job,” she said. “He has experience, which we need, and his past record has proven very favorable. I think he’ll help us reach our goals. I’m sure he will.”
Carlisle said he’s eager to fill the role as chief and serve in a community he calls home.
“This is my hometown,” he said on a final note. “I love it up here…I always said that if I ever got the opportunity, (Toccoa) is where I wanted to be.”
