Near the conclusion of the July 1 Eatonton City Council meeting, Mayor John Reid announced the Eatonton Police Department, led by Police Chief Howell Cardwell, had received an Excellence in Policing award from the Georgia Municipal Association.
Cardwell explained that the award was achieved by establishing, securing approval for, and implementing approximately 15 official EPD practices, including use-of-force policies, car chasing policies, and outside employment policies, among several others.
He also stressed the hard work and collaboration of Tonya Thomas in his office, saying her help in drafting the policies was invaluable and she deserves a lot of credit for the department’s accomplishment.
Cardwell said the award serves as validation of the efforts from each of his officers to serve the community competently, fairly, and professionally.
Still, the award will hang on the wall of his office.
“Did a lot of hard work to get this,” he said. “But I think it’s going to serve all of us well in the future.”