Cornelia’s former police chief is now serving as the city’s first-ever public safety director. Chad Smith took over the job last week. He oversees the city’s police and fire departments, as well as the newly-created City Marshal’s Office and Court Services Department.
Court Services includes the municipal judge, solicitor, clerk of court, and probation division. The City Marshal’s Office includes code enforcement and building permits. The city created the two new departments so it could move municipal court and code enforcement out from under the police department.
“There is a push across the state to have municipal courts removed from the direction of the police department to eliminate the perception that decisions are being manipulated by the police chief to generate revenue,” explains Cornelia City Manager Dee Anderson.
New departments meant new layers of administration and Anderson says he already had nine department heads reporting directly to him.
“Ideally, the optimal number of people one person can supervise effectively is five to seven, so, I felt it would be best not to add another,” he says. “Since Public Safety makes up the largest function of the city personnel-wise, I felt it would be best to bring all of these functions under one director to report directly to me.”
Cornelia similarly realigned its utility departments years ago and Anderson says “it has worked great.”
Decades of experience
Smith took over the job as Cornelia’s public safety director last week. He brings with him to the job 27 years of law enforcement experience. Smith spent the past 20 years with Cornelia PD – the last seven as chief. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Sociology and a master’s degree in Public Safety Administration.
“I’m proud that they trust me with it,” Smith tells Now Habersham, referring to his new job. As public safety director, he says he’s committed to “providing leadership, more transparency in financial spending, and more accountability to the citizens.”
Jonathon Roberts succeeds Smith as Cornelia’s police chief. He has a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice. Like Smith, Chief Roberts has spent the last 20 years of his 24-year law enforcement career in Cornelia. Before his promotion to chief, he served as assistant chief for seven years.
Anderson touts the fire department’s Class 3 ISO rating and police department’s state certification as evidence of the high level of service Cornelia already provides.
“While it will be difficult to improve on the quality of public safety service that our citizens currently receive,” he says, “I think that this move will improve all of our public safety functions.”
