Patti Dozier
THOMASVILLE — Meigs’ new police chief, who takes office on Monday, has no solid plan of action, but he does plan to attack crime in the Thomas County town.
Tom Close, 51, was one of a “significant number” of applicants for the job, said Meigs Mayor Andy Wurst.
“He is a well-qualified person all the way around,” the mayor said.
Close, who grew up in Albany, N.Y., recently returned from Iraq, where, as chief of police operations, he was assigned to the U.S. State Department Police Mission to train Iraqi police.
Close, who holds a master’s degree in police administration, served 10 years with the Henry County Police Department, where he was Officer of the Year for two consecutive years. He also served as chief investigator for the Henry County solicitor office.
A certified Georgia police officer, Close will acquire police chief certification.
His starting salary will be about $32,000 annually with health insurance provided by the city.
Close said he has the experience, skills and education to serve as chief of police.
Meigs’ new top cop is aware of the town’s drug problem. He wants to make the town safe and rebuild the police department.
“It’s going to be ongoing,” Close told the Times-Enterprise during a telephone interview Thursday afternoon.
He plans to seek grants for funding and get the town involved in addressing Meigs crime.
Close wants to meet community law enforcement officials and form partnerships with their agencies.
“If there’s one thing I’ve learned in law enforcement, it’s you can’t stand alone,” the new chief explained.
Meigs’ sole police officer, Thomas and Mitchell County sheriffs’ offices and Georgia State Patrol have provided law enforcement services in Meigs during the absence of a chief since late 2009.
“We’ve had better police protection than we’ve had before,” Mayor Wurst said.
The mayor eagerly anticipates Close’s arrival.
“ ... He’ll come in and evaluate the situation and straighten things out,” Wurst explained.
