COBB COUNTY, Ga — Chief Orrin Scott Hamilton is to lead the Austell police department as the first African American police chief in Cobb County history.
Hamilton spoke exclusively with Channel 2 Cobb County Bureau Chief Michele Newell about his decades-long career in law enforcement and what he plans to do in his new role.
“It’s a blessing first of all, I give all the credit to God because there’s no way this would’ve occurred or happened without him,” Hamilton said.
Hamilton began his Law Enforcement career with the Cobb County Police Department in November 1995 as a uniform patrol officer in Precinct Three. During his tenure with CCPD, he earned the opportunity to serve in several assignments.
During his 26-plus years of service, he led in various roles: Field Training Officer, DUI Task Force (Sergeant), MCS Cobra Narcotics Team (Corporal), DPS Training Unit (Sergeant), Criminal Investigations (Sergeant and Lieutenant), Special Operations Commander which he managed Traffic Services, K-9 Unit, DUI TF, Mobile Field Force, EOD, DIVE Team, TFO, Honor Guard, and Special Events.
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As Deputy Chief of Police, he led the Support and Administration Command, which includes Permits, Evidence & Property, CALEA, Records and Fleet Units. He affectionately refers to these units as the spinal cord of the department because of the responsibilities of each unit and the services that they provide to patrol officers and citizens.
Hamilton led the Cobb Police Athletic League as the Board’s Chairman for three years, which allowed him to empower Program Coordinators to impact the lives of youth through Camp Programs and person-to-person mentorship.
But Hamilton believes his biggest achievement during his time with the Cobb County Police Department is the role he played in helping other officers move up the ranks.
“When you ask about my accomplishments, that’s probably my biggest one is to look at some of the things and how people have become successful, and I would like to think I played a big role in that,” Hamilton said.
Hamilton is looking forward to accomplishing even more in his new role.
“With me being the outsider, I have to develop the trust of the men and women within the police department. I also have to develop the trust between the citizens of Austell and the city council,” Hamilton said.
Hamilton is prepared to tackle crime in a number of different ways, including technology. The department just purchased flock cameras.
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“Our first week, I’m going to bring the current leadership into a room, and we are going to sit down and talk about crime trends and stats.”
Community engagement is another priority for Hamilton.
“Instead of looking at everyone as a suspect, we need to start looking at people as people, so we are going to be at all the community events. We’re going to be at the schools. I want the police officers to see people in their environment where they can say, you know what, these are real folks,” Hamilton said.
Hamilton will officially be sworn in on Friday at 7:00 p.m.
He plans to attend a back-to-school event with officers from the department this weekend.
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