Woodstock Police Chief Named Outstanding Police Chief of the Year

WOODSTOCK, GA — The Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police (GACP) has named Calvin Moss, Police Chief for the Woodstock Police Department as this year’s Outstanding Chief of the Year. Moss was selected as the 2019 recipient for his proactive contributions to his department, to the GACP, and to the state’s law enforcement community. Moss was presented with this prestigious award Tuesday afternoon, July 23, at GACP’s training conference in Savannah.

The City of Woodstock will celebrate this prestigious honor by hosting a reception on Aug. 12 at 6 p.m. at the Chambers at City Center, 8534 Main Street. The event is open to all who would like to congratulate Moss.

With more than 37 years of experience, this year’s recipient of GACP’s Outstanding Chief of the Year Award began his career in 1981 with the Atlanta Police Department. He rose through the ranks over the next 30 years to the rank of Deputy Chief where he retired to accept the appointment as chief with the Woodstock Police Department in March 2012. Since joining the department, he has a long list of accomplishments that has placed his department on the leading edge of law enforcement agencies in Georgia.

While the agency has held State Certification since July 1998, he led the department to obtaining National Accreditation from Commission on Accreditation for law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) in 2017.

He has expanded their Citizen’s Police Academy to become a Citizens Public Safety Academy, instituted a “Transactions Safe Place” where items purchased on-line could be safely exchanged, reached out to build relationships with the Islamic community and provided all sworn personnel with “Cultural Competency for Law Enforcement Officers” training.

To ensure the implementation of the Body Worn Camera (BWC) program was successful, he formed a ‘community working group’ to provide input and guide the project. He also obtained a grant for $60,000 from the U. S. Department of Justice to fully fund the project.

While the city’s population has experienced a 40 percent growth in the last eight years, the crime rate has steadily fallen. Violent and property crime rates are now respectfully one third and half of the state’s averages. This has resulted in his city being named as the 16th safest city in Georgia overall and the fifth safest city with a population over 30,000.

In addition to all of his professional accomplishments, the Chief of the Year plays an active role in the community including: "Convoys of Hope" to assist victims of tornadoes in South Georgia and Hurricane evacuees, regularly participates in Cops on Donut Shops fundraising events for Special Olympics as well as a "celebrity" dancer in the Service League of Cherokee County fundraising event.

Moss serves on the Board of Directors for Real Heroes Report Magazine, Atlanta-Carolina High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force Executive Board, Cherokee County Friends of Recovery DUI/Drug Court Board, Cherokee County Multi-Agency Narcotics Squad Board, Chairs the Reinhardt University’s Public Safety Institute Police Academy Board, and co-chairs the GACP Training Committee.