The Whitfield County Sheriff’s Office held the annual Old Timer’s Qualification Day on Wednesday, March 15. The event was held at the Whitfield County Sheriff’s Firearms Training Center.
The Old Timer’s Qualification Day became a tradition in 2004 after the Federal Law
Enforcement Officers Safety Act (LEOSA) (a.k.a. HR 218) was signed into law. The law allows
qualified active and honorably retired law enforcement officers to carry concealed firearms
nationwide. One condition of the law is the retired officer must qualify with their firearm on the
range.
“It is a great reunion to see each other, but we do have to have the mandatory classes if as a
retired officer you want to carry your weapon,” said Whitfield County Sheriff Scott Chitwood.
“They are in the classroom the first part of the day and they have to qualify and meet certain
standards.”
With more than 1,000 years of collective experience, over 40 retired law enforcement officers,
from different agencies, gathered together at the range. The retirees represented the Whitfield
County Sheriff’s Office, City of Dalton Police Department, Federal Air Marshals, Georgia State
Patrol and more. A retired captain from the Georgia State Patrol was one of the original
retirees to meet qualifications at the Whitfield County range in 2004.
“I started coming in 2004 and been here ever since. This is a great program for a retired officer
and we really appreciate Whitfield doing this,” said retired Captain Carlton Stallings of GSP.
Mr. Stallings served as captain over the Specialized Collision and Reconstruction Team (SCRT), and
retired after a 34-year career. “It [Old Timer’s] keeps us brushed up on our skills that we’ve had for so many years, and want to stay fresh. We want to stay current, effective and stay as safe as we can be.”
If you’re a retired law enforcement officer and would like more information on Old Timer’s, contact Whitfield County Training Lieutenant Jarrod Hayes at WCSOTraining@WhitfieldCountyGa.com or 706-694-4111.