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Carswell Sworn in as Police Chief

The City of Holly Springs swore in Michael Carswell on December 5th as the City's Police Chief. Michael Carswell
Carswell began his tenure with the City with 26 years of public service behind him. Chief Ball remembers his first interview with Carswell in 2009, where he says Carswell already had his eyes on the Agency’s top executive position. “When I asked Mike what his goals were in Holly Springs, he was quick to say that he wanted to do what he needed to do to be Chief one day. He has been one of the few new hires who saw the top job as the goal,” he said. Ball remembers many conversations over the past seven years where the two of them discussed what it would take for Carswell to be Chief one day, and Ball says that Carswell took it all to heart, including earning his master’s degree and most recently, completing the Southern Police Institute’s Administrative Officers Course and the Police Executive Leadership Graduate Program, an intense, 13-week, graduate-level program in Louisville, KY. Carswell is also a graduate of the Georgia Law Enforcement Command College and he holds a bachelor’s degree in management from Shorter University.
Carswell began his career in public safety in 1983. Twenty-five of those years have included supervisory, managerial, command staff, and executive responsibilities.
Carswell has worked with the cities of Smyrna and Marietta, where he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant. He worked for the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office immediately before he joined the City of Holly Springs, where he has been promoted from officer, to sergeant, detective sergeant, lieutenant, and captain. Carswell was sworn in as Deputy Chief in January of 2014. During his years in public safety, Carswell has managed and supervised SWAT and Critical Response teams, the Marietta-Smyrna Narcotics/COBRA Unit, as well as field and training units.
He has earned a litany of Peace Officer Standards and Training (P.O.S.T) certifications, and has over 3,300 hours of additional P.O.S.T. training. He is also a graduate of the Public Safety Physical Fitness Specialist Course from the Cooper Institute in Dallas, TX.
Carswell has surrounded himself with other like-minded professionals in his field. He is an active member of the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police, the International Chiefs of Police, and Cherokee Triad-Seniors and Law Enforcement Together (S.A.L.T.).
Councilmember Dee Phillips, chair of the City’s Public Safety Committee, is confident that naming Deputy Chief Carswell as the sole finalist for the Chief of Police position is the right decision for the Holly Springs Police Department and the residents of Holly Springs. “He has been nothing but a positive force since joining the City, he has shown immense leadership skills, and has acquired the respect of all City employees and his fellow police officers,” she said.  In 2013, Carswell received the Bob Fuller Leadership Award, an honor awarded to him by his peers, to acknowledge his leadership skills and his ability to motivate others to excel in their duties.
Chief Ball echoed Councilmember Phillips’ sentiments. “Deputy Chief Carswell has earned the respect of the citizens of Holly Springs, as well as the respect of the men and women in the Agency. I firmly believe he will continue to be very open with the residents he serves, and will accept only the best from the officers that this Agency employs.”
Deputy Chief Carswell’s aspirations do not end at Chief of Police. His future aspirations include attending the Federal Bureau of Investigation National Academy.
Passing the torch to Deputy Chief Carswell is something that Chief Ken Ball feels very comfortable doing. “I am very proud Deputy Chief Carswell is the sole candidate for the Chief position and I will be very proud to turn over command of the Holly Springs Police Department to him. It has been an honor to serve with Mike and I could not be more pleased seeing him named as my successor,” said Chief Ball.

© 2016 City of Holly Springs, Georgia 3237 Holly Springs Parkway
                                                                                 Holly Springs, Georgia 30115
                                                                                 Phone: (770) 345-5536   Fax: (770) 345-0209

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