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Hannah demotes Babb in sheriff shakeupTue, 01/13/2009 - 4:48pm
By: John Munford
When new Fayette County Sheriff Wayne Hannah took over Jan. 1, the process of change began in earnest. Hannah appointed his command staff, making a few changes at top leadership positions. Among those changes was the demotion of former sheriff’s candidate, Capt. Barry Babb, to the rank of deputy. Babb also was transferred from the Field Services Unit to the jail. Hannah declined to comment on the circumstances leading to Babb’s demotion. “That was the command staff’s decision,” Hannah said. “I won’t get into their reasons.” Babb’s demotion will also have a financial hit as he will no longer be paid as a captain, though he will be at the top of the deputy pay grade, Hannah explained. Hannah said it is not fair for a person to fill a position that their pay doesn’t match. Hannah explained that Babb’s switch came from the command staff’s evaluation of current personnel and their strengths and weaknesses. Hannah said he also did not want to move an employee down if it would block another employee who had been serving at the department and kept advancing their career. The other in-house sheriff’s candidate, Thomas Mindar, will remain a specialist in the Warrants Division, Hannah said. The sheriff noted that Mindar has continued his hard-working ways since coming back on board after the campaign. Maj. Robert Glaze will be promoted to lieutenant colonel and has assumed command of the Criminal Investigations Division. Capt. Mike Hattaway, who formerly held that position, was transferred to the Court Services Division in the rank of sergeant, Hannah said. Lt. Mahlon Donald will be promoted to captain and assigned to the Criminal Investigations Division; he previously has been the department’s representative on the Metro Atlanta Fugitive Squad. Donald will be replaced on that unit by Capt. Tommy Pope, who will become a lieutenant, not as a demotion but because that position is a lieutenant’s position, Hannah explained. Like Babb, Hattaway and Pope will be at the top of the pay grade for their respective ranks, Hannah said. The department’s field operations and traffic divisions will merge into one division and be headed up by Capt. Bryan Woodie, who will be promoted to major, Hannah said. Woodie was previously Hannah’s second in command in the traffic division. The previous director of Field Operations, Maj. Tommy Nations, is likely to retire, Hannah said. Lt. Brian Eubanks will be promoted to captain and will lead the traffic-assigned personnel, Hannah said. Capt. Charles Cowart will be promoted to major and will assume operations of the Technical Services Division which operates the jail. Lt. Steve Coker, who directly oversees jail operations, will be promoted to captain. Capt. Larry Whitlock will remain the supervisor of Court Services. The captain position over the Tactical Narcotics Team, formerly known as the Drug Task Force, will remain vacant for the time being, Hannah said. The position was left vacant by the death of Capt. Mike Pruitt, who succumbed last month after a long bout with cancer. Hannah said he chose the members of his command staff because they know him and what he expects from them. “They know how I operate so they can get that going throughout the sheriff’s office probably quicker than me trying to go around, educating everybody else that don’t know me and don’t know how I work.” Hannah said he also felt the department had become “kind of stagnant” in some areas and he wants the department to gain some forward momentum. “We can’t just keep sitting here dead in the water,” Hannah said. In the reorganization, Hannah said he was resolved to not create any new positions for existing staffers. All promoted employees will have to go through a probationary period at first, he added. As part of the reorganization, the sheriff’s office will combine the school resources officer and drug abuse resistance education programs. Previously the SROs were part of criminal investigations and the DARE officers were under field operations. They will be led by Capt. Deborah Hannah, the sheriff’s wife, under the field operations division. Hannah recently held several swearing-in ceremonies for employees and used the events as an opportunity to encourage leadership and other traits he wants to see from employees. “We don’t have any major issues here,” Hannah said. “With just a little fine tuning I think we can make it better.” login to post comments
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