The city of Walthourville recently announced that it has appointed a new police chief. Assistant Police Chief Bernie Quarterman was promoted to police chief.
A series of assessments and interviews led the city to select Quarterman to lead the Police Department. A city news release says he did an “outstanding job” for the past 23 months as assistant chief.
In June, Tracy McFadden resigned as Walthourville police chief after asking the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to investigate allegations of impropriety by a city police officer. The GBI has not released information on that investigation since then. McFadden said when he resigned that it had nothing to do with his decision to leave the department.
The former chief’s LinkedIn page says he has been president, CEO and artist manager of Resurrection Gospel Inc., which a website about his wife, Evangelist Naomi Ruth McFadden, says is an independent record label structured in 2010 by the McFaddens.
Quarterman came to Walthourville with an extensive law-enforcement background.
He brings 20 years of experience, including in local law enforcement and as an investigator of domestic and international organized crime.
He has worked for the United Nations; U.S. State and Defense departments. He also worked alongside the Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; GBI; and the postal inspector doing undercover work.
He has served as a traffic supervisor, community policing supervisor, chief of investigation deputy station commander, station commander and foreign operation base commander. His most recent assignments were working domestic crimes, internal affairs investigations, field training and conducting community policing projects.
Quarterman is a community policing instructor and a field training officer holding an Associate of Applied Science in criminal justice law enforcement technology specialization, Bachelor of Science in management and a Master of Science in administration of justice and security. He has been accepted into the criminal justice administration doctoral program and is a member of the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police.
Walthourville Mayor Daisy Pray said she appreciates a law-enforcement officer of Quarterman’s caliber; both professionally and educationally, running the city’s Police Department.
The city also has promoted Officer Jerald Burgess to the rank of sergeant and welcomed back Capt. Phillip Green, who left for a brief period. Quarterman said the Police Department is operating professionally, positively and productively.
Quarterman said the department’s vision is to focus on community policing, keep residents and property safe and use impartial policing methods.
He added that he will encourage partnerships with outside agencies.