One of Thomasville’s finest was honored recently by the Thomas County Branch of the NAACP. Chief Troy Rich was named a recipient of the organization’s 2018 Outstanding Community Service Award. The presentation was made by Branch President Lucinda Brown during the group’s annual meeting held earlier this month.
“Chief Rich was selected for this honor in part because of the great strides he has made in leading the Thomasville Police Department toward fully embracing 21st Century policing initiatives,” said Brown. “He is determined to treat all citizens the same, and uses proven methods of policing designed to prevent rather than to escalate community tensions. He has brought a spirit of innovation and a positive voice to Thomasville.”
Rich said that he is honored to receive this award and views it as an achievement for all of TPD. “Our department has worked hard to build important relationships within our community, and I feel this award is a testament to the progress we’ve made. It is relationships such as the one between the Thomasville Police Department and the Thomas County Branch of the NAACP that make our efforts in community oriented policing so successful.”
Rich is passionate about community oriented policing and believes initiatives that help to build relationships and partnerships within the community are vital. “Community oriented policing is the backbone of police organizations,” he said. “It fosters partnerships, communication and trust within the community. Without incorporating this philosophy, law enforcement efforts wouldn’t be as successful.”
It is those community policing initiatives that Brown said made him a clear choice for this year’s Outstanding Community Service Award. “Chief Rich knows how to treat each citizen equally,” she said. “He recognizes the importance of communication and keeping an open mind when policing the community.”
One of the initiatives that is helping TPD to build trust within the community is the Police Unity Council. “We began this program in the summer of 2016 and it has since continued to grow,” said Rich. “As part of this program, topics including use of force, implicit/explicit bias, warrior vs. guardian mindset and other initiatives and trends are discussed with community leaders. The goal is to help citizens understand the procedures and policies of law enforcement and how they are implemented.”
Brown said that Chief Rich believes in procedural justices, which shows in many of the initiatives he endorses. “Chief Rich has implemented many new programs that can help citizens move forward positively from negative choices they may have made in the past,” she said.
One such program is Georgia’s criminal record restrictive initiative. “A criminal record can create obstacles to employment, housing and education,” said Rich. “Georgia’s criminal record restrictive initiative helps to remove these obstacles.”
“Chief Rich believes in fairness, transparency, and impartiality and he works hard to make Thomasville a better place to live for all of its citizens. We are so pleased to recognize Chief Rich with one of our 2018 Outstanding Community Service Awards,” said Brown.