Carswell Named Finalist for Holly Springs Police Chief Position

HOLLY SPRINGS, GA -- The city of Holly Springs has named Deputy Chief Michael R. Carswell as the sole finalist for the chief of police position.

That position will soon become vacant when current Chief Ken Ball retires and join the Cherokee Sheriff's office as chief deputy in January 2017.

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 said 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," Ball said. "He has been one of the few new hires who saw the top job as the goal."

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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.

“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," Ball later said. "It has been an honor to serve with Mike and I could not be more pleased seeing him named as my successor."

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.

Before coming to Holly Springs, Carswell was employed with the Pickens County Sheriff's Office where he rose through the ranks and most recently served as captain.

Carswell was sworn in as Holly Springs' deputy chief in January 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.

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.).

Holly Springs City Council member Dee Phillips, chair of the city’s Public Safety Committee, is confident that naming Carswell as the sole finalist for the position is the right decision for the city and police department.

“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.

Image via city of Holly Springs