Avondale Police Chief Retires Following Failed Accreditation

AVONDALE ESTATES, GA — The city of Avondale Estates is on the hunt for a new police chief following a failed accreditation attempt and the subsequent retirement of now-former Chief Lynn Thomas.

The city announced Thomas' departure Monday, as well as the news of the police department failing to receive a certification of accreditation from the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police. Accreditation was part of Avondale Estates' larger plan to change its reputation as unwelcoming and racist, the Atlanta Journal Constitution reported.

Thomas joined the department in 2002 and worked his way through the ranks, being promoted to chief in 2016 — a few months after then-DeKalb County District Attorney Robert James decided not to charge him for shooting and killing an unarmed Black man, the AJC reported.

Capt. Paul Conroy, a longtime veteran of the police department, is now serving as acting chief.

"Accreditation was identified as a top priority of the city to ensure the city's police department is operating with the highest standards deemed essential for the efficient and effective operation of law enforcement agencies," city officials said in a news release. "The city remains steadfast in its commitment to the community's well-being and safety, and will continue to pursue accreditation."

Accreditation is a voluntary process certifying that local police agencies have well-documented, state-approved policies and procedures, and they train officers according to those standards. According to the 28-page accreditation assessment of the AEPD, there was "an overwhelming lack of documentation" and other compliance problems related to evidence storage and training.

The assessment was actually called off by 3 p.m. of the second day of evaluation. The review team said while the department's hospitality was "excellent," they also mentioned that the ream's communication of issues to the certification manager, Lt. Duanne Thompson, "was met with indifference or sarcasm," and that he had an "apathetic attitude" about the process.

"I would feel irresponsible recommending certification for the agency, based on the number of compliance issues and the amount of work still needing to be done to bring the agency's policies up to standard," Valerie M. Johnson, the review team's leader, wrote in her report.

Thompson, the accreditation manager, resigned following the failed review.

You can view Johnson's full report online here.