BREAKING NEWS: Connie Sampson hired as interim chief of Griffin Police Department

SHEILA A. MATHEWS :::

Connie Sampson has been hired to serve as interim chief of the Griffin Police Department.

July 5 will be Sampson’s first day in office.

The interim chief is responsible for the GPD’s day-to-day operations and management of its sworn and civilian personnel.

GPD Chief Mike Yates has been on paid administrative leave, with provisions that he have no contact with any city of Griffin employee and refrain from being on city property, since April 28.

“The Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police was a tremendous resource for us in identifying Chief Sampson as our Interim Chief. Chief Sampson’s experience, leadership, communication skills, and dedication to training make her ideally suited to serve all the citizens of Griffin,” said City Manager Jessica O’Connor.

In a min-June interview with The GRIP, O’Connor confirmed a tip, stating she had initiated the search for an interim chief of police, and said the move was because the GBI investigation that prompted her to place GPD Chief Mike Yates on administrative leave had become protracted.

She confirmed then that her intent was to hire someone unaffiliated with the GPD.

“I’m looking to bring in someone from outside the agency with no ties to anyone within the agency,” she said.

Asked if the interim chief will serve only until the GBI investigation is completed, O’Connor said, “It depends on the results of the GBI investigation.”

She gave the same response when asked if Yates would resume his duties upon the completion of the GBI investigation.

A press release describes Sampson as a thirty-year law enforcement veteran with extensive knowledge of state and federal laws and regulations as it relates to law enforcement who has guided and directed accreditation and certification processes in her previous employment that led to achieving the “Triple Crown of Professionalism.”

Sampson in 2017 retired from Georgia State University as an Associate Vice President for Critical Infrastructure, Building Security, and Safety, after beginning her career with the university as Police Chief in 1996.

She has served in an interim capacity throughout the Southeast at Maryville College, Young Harris College and Forsyth Tech.

She is a University of Georgia graduate and holds master’s degrees in criminal justice and public Administration from Brenau University and Georgia State University, respectively.

She currently serves as an adjunct professor in Criminal Justice and Social Science at Piedmont University in Athens.

“I have worked in several different communities and demonstrated success by guiding and directing different groups within the community to achieve a common goal of heightened safety and security for the entire community. I look forward to serving the citizens of Griffin and working with the fine men and women of the Griffin Police Department,” Sampson said.

“I am confident that Chief Sampson’s vast experience and knowledge will allow us to fulfill one of the goals of the City of Griffin to improve the quality of life, as our primary responsibility is to those who live, work, visit or otherwise come in contact with our City,” said O’Connor.

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