In a ceremony held by Smyrna Police Chief David Lee and members of the senior command staff on May 23, six offers were promoted in the first promotional ceremony held by the Smyrna Police Department.
Getting new badges and ranks were Lieutenant Jon Carter, Lieutenant Frank Durrance, Sergeant Celeste Rausch, Sergeant Tim Sharples, Sergeant Michael Smith and Sergeant Rick James.
“It is with my great honor to be able to promote these outstanding officers to their new rank. This is the first promotional ceremony the Smyrna Police Department has had. It is important to have this type of ceremony to recognize the hard work and dedication these officers have put in to achieve this promotion. It is also important to include their family members and friends who have made this walk with them. With these new promotions come new responsibilities. This includes becoming change agents for the new direction of the Smyrna Police Department,” said David Lee, Smyrna Chief of Police.
Lt. Jon Carter became an officer with the Smyrna Police Department in 1994. He graduated from Sprayberry High School in 1986. He holds numerous certifications and is the Head Firearms Instructor and Taser Instructor for the department.
Lt. Frank Durrance joined the City of Smyrna as a Smyrna Park Ranger in 1985 and moved to the Smyrna Police Department later that year. In 1989 when the Special Operations Unit (STEP) was formed, he was assigned to the unit as an Accident Reconstructionist. In 2001, he became the first Canine Handler for the City of Smyrna and served in this role until his K9 partner Niko’s retirement in 2010.
Sgt. Celeste Rausch has served with the Smyrna Police Department since 2007. She became a canine handler assigned to the Special Operations Unit. She has served in that capacity for three years. She is a graduate of Emory and has a masters from Georgia State. She formerly played for the Atlanta Xplosion women’s professional football team.
Sgt. Tim Sharples became a police officer with the City of Smyrna in 2006. He is graduate of the University of Massachusetts with a bachelor’s in Sociology/Criminal Justice and Central Michigan University with a master’s in Public Administration. He is a member of the honor guard, motor officer as well as a Field Training Officer. He initiated the department’s involvement with Special Olympics Torch Run and the Crisis Intervention Team. Sharples has specialized training as an instructor in Defensive Tactics, Crisis Intervention and Interpersonal Communications. He is also a member of the Smyrna Optimist Club and ILEETA (International Law Enforcement and Educators Association)
Sgt. Michael E. Smith grew up on a dairy farm in Vermont. He holds an Associate of Science in Engineering Technology from VermontTechnicalCollege and will graduate with a bachelor’s in Organizational Management and Leadership this summer from ReinhartUniversity. Michael plans to pursue a master’s in the fall. He is a veteran officer with over 14 years in law enforcement, six years with the Smyrna Police Department and eight years with the Vermont State Police. As the Department’s Public Information and Crime Prevention Officer, it has been his goal to strengthen the relationship between the Smyrna community and police department.
Detective Sgt. Rick James grew up in Acworth, and attended The Citadel earning his bachelor’s in Political Science and sub-field in Criminal Justice in the fall of 1997. Det. James embarked on his career in law enforcement as a Georgia State Correctional Officer at the Buford State Prison in Buford, GA in 1998. He joined th4e Smyrna department in 1999, assigned to uniform patrol division. He was his shift’s crime scene technician, in addition to his regular patrol duties. Promoted to Detective in 2005, James specialized in the area of robbery, larceny and auto theft investigations, while generally being assigned to auto theft.
From the June 2013 issue of The Bright Side, Cobb County Georgia’s Newspaper covering Smyrna, Vinings, Mableton and Austell, GA.
