Sgt. First Class Duane Massey

TIFTON, Ga. — Georgia State Patrol Post 13 has a new post commander.

In June, Sgt. First Class Duane Massey was promoted to sergeant first class and assumed command of the local post.

Massey, who has two children and is a native of Cordele, has 26 years of law enforcement experience. He started his career in law enforcement with the Cordele Police Department and the Crisp County Sheriff’s Office. He worked four and half years between the two agencies.

Massey joined the GSP in 1995 as a dispatcher in Hinesville and later transferred to the Cordele post. He then attended and graduated from the 73rd Trooper School in May 1998. Upon graduation, he was assigned to Post 15 in Perry. In November 1998, he transferred to his home post in Cordele, where he remained until his promotion to corporal at the Douglas post in September 2012 as assistant post commander.

In November 2013, Massey transferred to the Tifton post as assistant post commander and supervisor of the Troop H Task Force. In September 2014, he was promoted to sergeant at the Valdosta post and was the assistant post commander there as well.

Massey says his passion for law enforcement began at a very young age. It was a childhood dream, he said.

“I have always wanted to be a state trooper,” he commented, recalling that his grandfather said this was what he told him that he wanted to do from the time that he could talk.

“It’s been an awesome career,” Massey said. “I’ve been with them through our ups and downs. We’re in a down cycle right now, but it’ll come back around. We’ll get morale back up. We know that when we get into this job, it’s not always about the money. It’s about helping and doing what your heart tells you to do.”

His hope for the Tifton post is to become more involved in the community. They already participate in Toys for Tots, Relay for Life and some troopers speak at local DUI classes. However, Massey said he would like to expand that involvement in other areas in the community.

He said in the past when he first began his career in law enforcement, he remembers people stopping by just to talk and visit with their fellow troopers.

“I would love to see us get back to that,” he said. “The newer generation doesn’t know a lot about the Georgia State Patrol.”

Massey encourages citizens to call or stop by to get information on any traffic and criminal laws they may have a question about, including questions about car seats, or to stop by just to visit.

“This is their patrol post. We want them to be a part of it,” he said.

He added, “And, remember don’t text and drive.”

When asked about the importance of having that connection with other local agencies, Massey said it’s very important that everyone in law enforcement works together.

“Each one of us have different job functions, but we all have the same goal in the end and that’s to promote public safety and to make sure that the public is provided for,” he said.

He said some of the main functions of the GSP include traffic crash investigations and to assist other agencies if needed. He noted that GSP is also mandated by law to guard the governor and lieutenant governor.

“There are a lot of things that we do that the public doesn’t know about,” Massey said.

He said the GSP was created in 1937 because there was a need for a traffic enforcement agency.

“At that time, people were just driving any way they wanted to,” he said. “The legislators saw a need for it and created us.”

To be serving as post commander, living out his childhood dream, Massey said this reassures him that “what I’ve been doing has been right and that I’m now being rewarded for that.”

He may not have to be out on the roads a lot of nights, weekends and holidays like he used to, but he says he still worries about his guys.

“They’re out doing what I had to do and I know the dangers that they’re facing,” Massey said.