Police Department

Message from the Chief

The number one priority of the employees of your Police Department is service to the citizens of our community. Our service is our greatest product offered and we strive every day to make that product the best available anywhere.

To be successful, the Police Department must also have a strong and trusting relationship with our community. Gainesville’s relationship is built upon the foundation of our “Community Oriented Policing” philosophy that establishes a strong partnership with the community we serve.

Serving the citizens of Gainesville as a Police Officer for the past 14 years has been, and is still, a very rewarding career. My appointment to the position of Chief of Police, on May 10, 2010, was the fulfillment of a lifelong dream and being a 2nd generation Police Officer, my commitment to this community is strong. I am invested in this community and this police department and each day I look forward to us all working together to make Gainesville and Hall County one of the safest communities in which to work and live.

Gainesville Police Chief Brian P. Kelly
118 Jesse Jewell Parkway
P. O. Box 2496
Gainesville, GA 30503
Phone: 770-534-5252
Fax: 770-535-5620
police@gainesville.org

Protect and Serve

The Gainesville Police Department provides the City of Gainesville with emergency and non-emergency service 24 hours a day to more than 32,000 city residents and an estimated 125,000 visitors everyday. Our jurisdiction covers approximately 37 square miles and includes houses and apartment complexes, businesses and industrial parks, recreational facilities, including parks on and around Lake Lanier, several golf courses, schools, churches, an airport, shopping centers and numerous strip malls. We are a multi-faceted professional public safety organization serving a fast-paced, multi-cultural and rapidly growing community. In 2008, officers responded to approximately 56,785 calls for service and 1,697 motor vehicle crashes. In 2009, officers responded to approximately 63,101 calls for service and 1,553 motor vehicle crashes.  The Gainesville Police Department employs a total of 113 employees. All Gainesville Police Department officers are certified by the Georgia Peace Officers’ Standards and Training Council and must complete 20-hours of training annually to maintain their certification. The department is internationally accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. and is state certified by the Georgia Association of Chief’s of Police.

The headquarters of the Gainesville Police Department is located at 118 Jesse Jewell Parkway, SE, in the Public Safety Building. The department also maintains precincts at the Lakeshore Mall located on Pearl Nix Parkway and at the Featherbone Communiversity located on Chestnut Street.

The Gainesville Police Department is headed by Chief Brian P. Kelly who is currently assisted by two police captains who serve as bureau directors. The bureau directors oversee the Operations Bureau and the Support Services Bureau within the police department.

The department has developed and implemented a number of crime prevention programs. We utilize a community oriented policing approach as a positive step in the development of both a working relationship and a communications network between our department and the community.  A Selective Traffic Enforcement Program was established, aimed at reducing the severity and number of motor vehicle crashes and fatalities in the City of Gainesville.  The Police Traffic Services Unit utilizes the latest in law enforcement technology in their efforts to maintain safer streets in our community.

The sworn and civilian members of the Gainesville Police Department are extremely proud of their agency and all the services that are provided to the citizens and visitors of this city. Whether members are assigned to areas such as patrol, canine teams, crime scene, criminal investigations, school resource program, gang task force or any other component or division of the department, pride is the common denominator found with our employees. The Gainesville Police Department is committed to providing professional law enforcement and public safety services and we strive daily to provide those services to all citizens of and visitors to our city through the prudent allocation of resources the community has entrusted to us.