This week’s Hometown Public Servant is Adrian Police Department’s Chief Kyle Strickland. Born in Charleston, South Carolina, Chief Strickland relocated to Soperton, Treutlen County, with his family at a young age. It was in Treutlen County where he began his law enforcement career with the county’s sheriff department as a jailer. He later attended the police academy and then worked with the Soperton Police Department for almost another three years before transferring in his line of work to serve the City of Adrian.
“I felt the City of Adrian was the best fit for me where I could make a difference and help the city to grow while I grew personally as well,” Chief Strickland commented in regard to his change of employment.
Chief Strickland began his career with Adrian Police Department as sergeant on June 26, 2019 and was later appointed to interim chief on Feb. 10, 2020.
“I grew up in a law enforcement family and had always dreamed of following in my dad’s and granddad’s footsteps. Serving the people of my community is my passion and seeing the people that I serve to prosper is the best feeling in the world,” Chief Strickland further stated.
Chief Strickland’s day-to-day duties vary vastly, from being in office dealing with paperwork and tending to incoming and outgoing calls to patrolling the city, patrolling traffic, and responding to calls of service. Of his many tasks performed, Chief Strickland says the most enjoyable part about his job is seeing children follow and accomplish their dreams, bringing joy to local youth during the Christmas holidays, and comforting grieving families when tragic strikes.
“Knowing that I had a part in bringing peace and happiness to others, especially those I serve, is an amazing feeling to me,” Chief Strickland explained.
Becoming a law enforcement officer
The State of Georgia requires that all certified police officers go through the police (AKA mandate) training. In addition, officers are also required to have a minimum of 20 hours of training each year that includes use of force and de-escalation tactics as well as firearm requalification. Officers also have to undergo specialized training for tasks that are performed on a daily basis such as DUI enforcement, speed detection, and other specific training for on-the-job tasks. In addition to the requirements of being a police officer, a chief of police is required to conduct a minimum of 25 hours in training each year as well as specialized executive training.
When discussing education with Chief Strickland, he expressed his desire to continuously pursue continued education in order to serve his community to the best of his ability. In a recent interview, Chief Strickland discussed countless hours of training he has completed that were not required and also discussed his attendance at the University of Phoenix, where he is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and business management. He also strives to stay current on all state and U.S. Supreme Court case laws and any other available training to make the Adrian Police Department and City of Adrian be the best it can possibly be.
Chief Strickland’s words to the public
“Law enforcement is different today than it was in the past. We work with a lot of diversity and make sure that we treat everyone with dignity and respect that they deserve – no matter what. The department has come a long way since I entered office as chief, and the credit for this can be given to many. We protect our citizens by our service to the community, and their collective efforts is what makes our department thrive, as well as local law enforcement partners and the hard work and dedication of our city officers. I’d like to thank everyone who has stood behind me personally as well as our department to help us grow to what we are today,” Chief Strickland concluded.
