Fairburn Police Chief Charles Long resigned recently, leaving behind an accountability policing program and a reduction in serious crime.

“Chief Long made a good mark on Fairburn,” said City Administrator Jim Williams, adding that Long left for personal reasons.

Hired as chief from an agency in North Carolina, Long assumed the responsibility for law enforcement in October 2004. Williams said Long made tremendous improvements in the police department and its productivity during his nearly three years with the city.

Williams noted Long’s actions in responding to residents in Meadow Glen subdivison who had been terrorized by violence and gang-related activities in 2005. Long provided the strategy to combat residents’ fears and the threats they received.

“He was on top of those situations,” Williams said.

During his tenure, Long instituted an accountability policing model that organized the city into zones, requiring that officers take enhanced responsibility for their areas. A host of information was charted weekly and was available to the public for review. The endeavor paid off. Double-digit crime increases for serious crime in 2004 were followed by a three percent increase in 2005 and and eight percent decrease in 2006, all during a time when Fairburn was experiencing rapid population growth.

Deputy Police Chief J. H. Midkiff has been appointed acting chief.

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