New Police Chief Named In Gwinnett

LAWRENCEVILLE, GA — A 26-year veteran of the Gwinnett County Police Department has been named as Gwinnett's new police chief, County Administrator Glenn Stephens announced Thursday, Sept. 26. Deputy Chief Tom Doran has been chosen to succeed Police Chief A.A. “Butch” Ayers, who is retiring after 35 years of service.

Doran is scheduled to assume his new role on Nov. 15. In a statement, Stephens noted that Doran is the fifth Gwinnett police chief in a row to begin his career as an officer and rise through the ranks to the top job.

"I credit the superior level of expertise that exists within the leadership in our police department, including the tremendous leadership of Chief Ayers, for this tradition," he said.

As deputy chief, Doran commanded the department’s Operations Bureau, including the Uniform Division, the department's largest division. He's an 18-year veteran of the SWAT team, previously serving as the unit commander and special operations commander.

Doran is a 2009 graduate of the Georgia Law Enforcement Command College, and holds a master's degree in public administration from Columbus State University.

The new chief also has logged more than 3,700 hours of specialized training during his career, according to the statement. The Georgia Peace Officers Standards and Training Council awarded Doran several certifications, including Supervision, Management, General Instructor, Firearms Instructor and Defensive Tactics Instructor.