Chief David L. Lyons is a native of Fort Payne, AL. He enlisted in the US Navy in 1964 and served a total of 4 years on active duty and 2 years in the Navy Reserve. After discharge he worked in a number of different fields to include restaurant management. He became interested in law enforcement and became a Reserve Police Officer with the Cleveland TN Police Department in 1970 and in 1971 became a full time Police Officer. That same year he entered college at Cleveland State Community College and graduated one and one half years later with an Associates Degree in Law Enforcement. He immediately transferred to the University of Tenn. at Chattanooga and at the same time enrolled in the ROTC Department. He graduated in 1974 with a BS Degree in Human Services / Criminal Justice and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army Military Police Corps. Chief Lyons remained on active duty for the next 17 years until retiring in 1993 from Fort Bragg, NC. During his military career, he completed a MA in Business Management and a Law Degree along with numerous military schools to include Command and General Staff College and the Staff Judge Advocate Officer Basic Course. Since his retirement from the Army, Chief Lyons has been Chief of Police in Woodstock, GA, Zebulon, GA and his present assignment in Garden City, GA. He has been Chief of Police in Garden City for thirteen years and in that time has transformed the department into a highly respected, nationally accredited Police Department. During his Police Chief career, Chief Lyons has completed the Chief Executive Officers Course, FBI National Academy (session 196), and the Executive Development Course as well as numerous law enforcement and management courses. In 2009 Chief Lyons was appointed by Governor Sonny Perdue to the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council and was elected to the Executive Board of the Georgia Association of Chief’s of Police as Fourth Vice President. He was sworn in as the President in July 2013. Chief Lyons currently serves as the SACOP representative to the IACP.
To provide quality police service to our community by promoting a safe environment through police and citizen interaction with an emphasis on integrity, fairness and professionalism.
