Snellville police chief announces retirement, city names successor
Longtime Snellville Police Chief Roy Whitehead announced his retirement Friday morning with Assistant Police Chief Greg Perry named as his successor. (Photos courtesy City of Snellville)
SNELLVILLE, Ga. - Five decades of service, 17 years as the chief of police.
Snellville's longtime Police Chief Roy Whitehead will retire, the city announced, and the department's assistant police chief will step into his role on July 1.
The 69-year-old chief will make way for assistant police chief Greg Perry to assume the role.
"I am thankful for the opportunity to have served this department, our city and this community," Whitehead said. "We are an award-winning department that is successful because of the job our people do and how they demonstrate their caring and professionalism daily. I’m also proud of our facility, equipment and the successes we have enjoyed while creating opportunities for our people to excel and an environment that encourages their growth."
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Whitehead is an alum of the University of Georgia. He earned a law degree at Georgia State University and took master's courses at The Citadel, the city saId. Whitehead has been Snellville's police chief since 2004.
Perry is a Gwinnett native and graduate of Brookwood High School. He began his law enforcement career after graduating from Reinhardt University at the Stone Mountain Park Department of Public Safety. He started work with Snellville PD in 2002.
"I am humbled to have the opportunity to lead the Snellville Police Department as the chief of police," he said. "Chief Whitehead has placed the department in a tremendous position to provide the highest level of public safety for our citizens, and we will do everything possible to continue the police department in a positive direction. All the men and women of the Snellville Police Department should know that I will work as hard as I can to provide them outstanding leadership in the chief’s position, and that I will support them 100 percent in doing their job professionally for our community. Our community members should know that our department will be responsive to their concerns, and will remain transparent in our activities."
The 46-year-old old has been assistant police chief since 2016.
"My ultimate goal is to continue to lead the Snellville Police Department in providing the highest level of professional policing for our community," Perry said. "I have a desire to increase training for both the officers within the department as well as increase community outreach. There is also a desire to improve the equipment and technology that can be used by the Snellville Police Department to help reduce crime. We will be working on strategies to assist with recruitment and retention for the police department. We will also continue to build partnerships within our community."
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