FORT VALLEY, Ga. — Editor's note: Video in this story is from previous coverage of Chief Lawrence Spurgeon's retirement.
The Fort Valley Department of Public Safety announced the appointment of Interim Director of Public Safety Roy Thompson III Wednesday morning.
According to a release, Thompson is originally from Macon and graduated from Crawford County High School before joining the Georgia Army National Guard.
He returned to Roberta and began his law enforcement career at Crawford County Sheriff’s Office.
In 2004, he was deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, where he served with Georgia’s 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team. After he returned from Iraq, Thompson took a position as a police cadet at the Fort Valley Police Department.
He was there until late 2007, when he accepted a position as a Geo-Political Intelligence Analyst supporting the United States Marine Corps as a contractor until 2009.
He returned to the Fort Valley Department of Public Safety in 2009. Since then, Thompson has served the city of Fort Valley as a corporal and a sergeant. He was later promoted to lieutenant in the uniform division.
Most recently he served as the lieutenant of the Office of Professional Standards and Training, working with the Criminal Investigations Division, and the District Attorney’s Office.
While working a full-time job at Fort Valley DPS, Thompson has also earned his Associates and Bachelor's Degrees from Reinhardt University.
He's a qualified General Instructor with specialty instructional certifications in firearms, defensive tactics and use of force.
“Taking on this job is a daunting task, and I fully intend to bring forth every ounce of energy, and every asset of mind to make the city shine as bright as the diamond it should be," he said.