Fulton Police Chief To Retire; Successor Named

ATLANTA, GA – After 32 years of serving the force, Fulton County Police Chief Gary Stiles on Monday announced plans to retire effective Dec. 12. Stiles has led the department since April 2015, first as interim police chief before being promoted to the permanent post in November 2005. Deputy Fulton Police Chief Darryl Halbert has been promoted to interim chief, the county government said. Deputy Chief Darryl Halbert has been named interim chief.

“Chief Stiles has been a dedicated public servant for this county for the last three decades, working his way up from beat cop to top leadership, always keeping in mind the best ways to reach our citizens and address their public safety concerns,” Fulton County Manager Dick Anderson said in a statement. “We anticipate that Chief Halbert will continue that standard of excellence and concern for the community.”

Stiles joined the Fulton County Police Department in December 1985 after working for the Atlanta Police Department. During his tenure as chief, he created the Special Operations Division to address street crime, created the county’s first crime analyst position, instituted intelligence-led policing, purchased and issued integrated body and in-car camera systems and implemented a countywide crime fighting initiative to combat an inter-jurisdictional crime spree.

Stiles is the co-founder and chairman of the Board of the Badge of Honor Memorial Foundation, supporting the families of officers who gave their lives in the line of duty. He also serves as chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Fulton County Employees Retirement System and has served as an employee-elected trustee for over 21 years.

The successor's background

Interim Chief Darryl Halbert has been with the Fulton County Police Department since March 1993. During his tenure, he has served as the watch commander for the Patrol Division, public information officer, Accreditation Manager and Internal Affairs commander. Halbert has served as deputy police chief since 2016.

He is actively involved in law enforcement organizations, including the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives and the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police.

Halbert is a 1987 graduate of Mississippi State University with a bachelor of arts in political Science. He's a graduate of the Georgia Law Enforcement Command College and received a master of arts in Public Administration from Columbus (GA) State University in 2003. He is also a graduate of the FBI’s 238th National Academy Class in 2009. Halbert is a U.S. military veteran, serving during Operation Desert Storm from 1990 to 1991.

Images: Chief Gary Stiles; Interim Chief Darryl Halbert (FCPD)