Roswell Appoints New Police Chief

ROSWELL, GA — There's a new police chief in town for Roswell now that the city has apponited someone to lead the department.

James W. Conroy will begin serving as police chief on July 29. Conroy is an accomplished law enforcement officer who has served as a transformational leader with the DeKalb County Police Department for 28 years. He recently retired from the department after serving as its Chief of Police since 2013.

As the DeKalb County Chief of Police, Conroy oversaw the operation of all police department services, and led a department of 1,200 employees, including 900 sworn police officers. He led a major command and management staff restructuring which resulted in a more streamlined and efficient command structure. During his tenure as the Chief of Police, there was a 27 percent reduction in overall Part I crimes. Conroy attributes the reduction to applying a combination of effective law enforcement frameworks, including 21st Century Policing, Community Policing, COMPSTAT, Broken Windows, and Intelligence-led Policing models of police management.

Conroy said he is looking forward to getting started at the Roswell Police Department.

“The Roswell Police Department has a long history of providing excellent service to their community and I look forward to building on that tradition," Conroy said. "We will continue to focus on community policing by embracing the pillars of 21st Century Policing and the principles of Procedural Justice.”

During his 28 years in the DeKalb Police Department, Conroy rose through the ranks, beginning as a Master Police Officer in 1991. He served over the years as a sergeant, lieutenant, captain, major, commander, assistant chief of police, and became the chief of police in 2013.

Before joining the DeKalb County Police Department, Conroy grew up in DeKalb County, graduating from Peachtree High School. He holds a Master’s Degree in Organizational Leadership from Waldorf University and a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice Administration from Columbia Southern University.

Conroy is also very active outside the police department, serving on the executive boards of several organizations, including the Metro Atlanta Police Emerald Society, the Gold Shield Foundation of Metro Atlanta, and DeKalb County Police Athletic League Plus, Inc.

Conroy’s annual salary with the City of Roswell will be $150,000.

After a nationwide search, City Administrator Gary Palmer said Conroy was his top choice for the job.

“The City of Roswell is fortunate to have an outstanding team of law enforcement professionals willing to go out every day to safeguard our community and put their lives on the line," Palmer. "They deserve to be led by an experienced chief who understands the dynamics of policing in the 21st century and the challenges our officers face day in and day out. Our officers deserve to be led by a chief that understands that those officers out patrolling our streets, interacting with our kids, responding to emergencies and serving our community are the backbone of a police organization. Our officers deserve a chief that has come up through the ranks and has a first-hand understanding of what it means to be a front-line officer in a large metropolitan area. Our community deserves a chief that is responsive, open, collaborative and has the gravitas to cultivate successful relationships in our ever-changing environment. Jim Conroy checks all of those boxes.”

The Roswell Police Department serves and protects citizens and visitors within the city. The 200-employee department, including 150 sworn officers, serves a population of almost 100,000 and 41.95 square miles of property.