Chief Cliff Cason (left) stands with Captain Ricky Long (right) after Captain Long's promotion was confirmed Tuesday morning by the Dalton Public Safety Commission
The Dalton Police Department has a new captain. After serving the department for more than 22 years, Lieutenant Ricky Long's promotion to the rank of captain and assignment as one of the agency's division commanders was confirmed at Tuesday morning's meeting of the Public Safety Commission.
"I’m very proud of the work he’s done and I know he is going to continue to serve this department with great pride and put this community first," Chief Cliff Cason said as he presented Captain Long to the commission.
Captain Long joined the police department in March of 2000.
He has served in a number of different roles, including as a patrol officer, school resource officer and as a detective, before becoming a supervisor in 2012, when he was promoted to the rank of sergeant. A promotion to the rank of lieutenant came six years later. He has been decorated many times in his career, including being named Officer of the Year in 2003, Officer of the Month three times, and winning the department's Division Commander's Award (2015) and Innovation in Police Services Award (2011). He has received 17 letters of commendation.
Captain Long earned his associate's degree from Dalton State College in 2009 and completed a bachelor's degree with Belhaven University in 2016. He earned his master's degree from the Columbus State University in 2019.
Captain Long is assigned as the division commander for the department's Criminal Investigations Division. He has served in that role on an interim basis since the retirement of former Division Commander Mike Wilson in May. The commission voted unanimously 4-0 in support of Captain Long's promotion. Chairman Terry Mathis typically only votes in the event of a tie.