DUBLIN, Ga. — The City of Dublin celebrated retiring Police Chief Tim Chatman and all of his accomplishments Wednesday.
"Chief Tim Chatman has dedicated his life to public service, working in law enforcement for a total of 37 years," Dublin Mayor Joshua Kight said.
Kight presented Chatman a commendation award from Governor Brian Kemp Wednesday afternoon.
The mayor says even though Chatman is retiring, his dedication to the community isn't going anywhere.
That's because despite being police chief for more than 5 years, he's also a pastor, a co-founder of the Transform Dublin initiative, and the CEO of his own company, Chatman & Associates polygraph services.
"I tried my best to lead with a spirit of excellence, to be a police chief for everybody, and to do the right thing," Chatman said.
James Champion retired as a captain from the Dublin Police Department. He knew Chatman for more than 20 years. Champion says it was an honor and a privilege to work with Chatman.
"That man never asked us to do anything that he was unable or unwilling to do himself, and that's a good leader," Champion said.
Matthew Cutler, the fire chief for the City of Dublin and someone Chatman considers a brother, says Chatman will keep making a positive impact wherever he goes.
"We want to leave on good terms. We want to leave our mark, leave the departments better than we found them," Cutler said.
And he's not going far -- he'll serve as the Safety Director for Dublin City Schools. It's an environment Chatman is familiar with.
He's worked with Communities in Schools on their collaboration with "National Night Out," a campaign dedicated to bringing law enforcement and the community together.
That's how Chatman met Veatrice Rozier, a retired abstinence coordinator. She says Chatman took the work seriously.
"You have to have a heart for what you do and love what you do, so I think the character for the love of the community was great," Rozier said.
Chatman starts his new position as safety director for Dublin City Schools in July. For now, Keith Moon serves as interim police chief.