MACON, Ga. — The Bibb County School District has a new chief on the block.
On Thursday, Curtis Adams has been sworn in as Bibb County School District's new campus police chief, and he said he's ready to help protect and serve the kids and families of Macon-Bibb County.
Adams has been in law enforcement for over 20 years and has worked his way up from foot patrol to bike patrol, regular patrol, and investigations. He then retired as an instructor for the Georiga Police Academy.
Now, he's the campus police chief for the district and he says his work doesn't stop here.
"I've been dedicated to creating value for someone else other than myself," Adams said. "We want to have a safe environment where kids can come and learn in a safe environment and for teachers to be able to teach and feel safe."
Adams grew up in Chicago and wanted to change his perception of police officers, so he became one. He says he wanted to heal the bond between the police and the people.
Adams said he has a passion for working with kids and families in crisis, and he finds it important to build trusting relationships with the community.
"All of us working together as a team is one of the most important things," Adams said. "It can't just be the police, it has to be the community, it has to be the police, it has to be the teachers, it has to be the custodians, it has to be everyone involved playing an active role in providing a safe environment for these children."
Coming from Chicago and working in law enforcement in Atlanta and Tampa, he says he's ready to help protect and motivate the kids of Bibb County so they can achieve their goals.
He understands some of these kids may have traumas, family issues or mental disabilities, and he says he wants to be a patient and trusting resource for them.
"I look at every task or everything that I've had throughout my life as just a new assignment," Adams said. "What do you do with assignments? You learn what the lesson is. If you learn the lesson, you'll get the blessings. If you don't learn the lessons, you gotta keep on testing."
Adams has stepped in after former campus police chief Russell Bentley retired in September.