The Hall County Sheriff’s Office announced it will temporarily close its facilities to the public next Wednesday, Sept. 30, so that officers may attend funeral services for one of their own. Lt. Stephanie Hollingsworth died in a traffic accident on Sunday evening, Sept. 20.
Her death hit the community hard. Fellow officers and first responders paid tribute as they escorted her body home to Flowery Branch.
“She was a dear friend and co-worker for more than three decades,” says Sheriff Gerald Couch. “We will miss her dearly and offer our prayers and complete support for her family.
A life of service
Lt. Hollingsworth began her career at the Hall County Sheriff’s Office in 1989 as a secretary. She was promoted to records supervisor in 1993 and graduated from the police academy later that year. Hollingsworth spent 26 years of her 31-year career in that position, also serving as the agency’s primary Georgia Crime Information Center Terminal Agency Coordinator (GCIC TAC).
In August 2002, Hollingsworth was promoted to Sergeant and earned the rank of Lieutenant in June of 2008. In March 2019, she transferred to the agency’s Office of Professional Standards where she served until her death at the age of 52.
During her many years of public service, Hollingsworth received several commendations. She was awarded the Sheriff’s Commendation in 2014 for achieving a perfect score on the FBI’s National Crime Information Center (NCIC) record and entry audit for the agency. Last year, she received a Sheriff’s Commendation for her hours of hard work in transitioning the sheriff’s office to the new Records Management System.
Hollingsworth is survived by her mother, husband, daughter, and granddaughter.
A celebration of life service will be held at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, September 30, at Free Chapel on McEver Road in Oakwood. The Hall County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) Headquarters, North and South Precinct facilities, and the lobby of the Hall County Jail will be closed to the public from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on that day to allow members of the HCSO family to attend visitation and the service.
The sheriff’s office says the closure will not affect law enforcement service in Hall County. People may still call 911 for emergencies or 770-536-8812 for non-emergencies.
