The Dalton Police Department welcomed a new officer to the ranks on Tuesday morning with a ceremony at the Police Services Center. Officer Ben Ridley was sworn in by Judge Jim Wilbanks and had his badge pinned on by his mother.
Officer Ridley graduated from the Georgia Public Safety Training Center’s Athens Regional Police Academy last Friday. At his graduation, Officer Ridley was honored with the Academic Award honoring the academy class’ top academic performer. That wasn’t the first academic honor for Mr. Ridley, who also graduated with honors from North Georgia College and State University (now the University of North Georgia) in 2012. Mr. Ridley also played Tennis for North Georgia.
Officer Ridley is a native of the northwest Georgia area. He was born and raised in Murray County, and graduated from Murray County High School in 2008.