Tom Close Named Chief of the Atlanta Tech Police Department

ATLANTA - Jan. 14, 2014 - PRLog -- As the leader of the police department, Close will oversee the daily law enforcement activities of campus operations — responding to emergencies, patrolling facilities and grounds, securing campus events and activities, and enforcing parking regulations. His duties will also encompass coordinating campus crime prevention programs, communicating with partner agencies, evaluating and updating safety plans, training and recruiting law enforcement staff, and conducting investigations.

Over the course of nearly two decades, Chief Close has earned a reputation for visionary leadership in law enforcement. He served as the chief of police operations for the U.S. Department of State International Civilian Police Mission in Baghdad, Iraq, and as a vehicle homicide investigator with the Henry County Police Department in McDonough, Georgia. During his tenure as the chief of criminal investigations for the Henry County Solicitors Office, he became one of the department’s most decorated officers. Most recently, Chief Close served as the chief of the City of Meigs Police Department in Meigs, Georgia.

Chief Close holds a Master of Public Administration from Columbus State University, a Master of Police Management from the Georgia Executive Law Enforcement Command College, a Bachelor of Arts in criminal justice from the State University of New York, and an associate degree in criminal justice from Hudson Valley Community College. He has also obtained the following certifications from the U.S. Department of Justice: International S.W.A.T. Instructor, International Master Police Trainer, International Criminal Investigator and International Fire Arms Instructor. In 2010, Close received his Executive Police Chief Certification from the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police.