Albany Tech names new chief of police

ALBANY – Albany Technical College’s new police chief comes with nearly two decades of law enforcement experience, including time with the Albany Police Department and several leadership positions with Albany State University police.

LaShawnda Ethridge assumed the duties on June 1, the college announced, and comes with a strong resume of knowledge, training and the personal skill set for the position and also holds a “student-first” philosophy.

Ethridge, a Charleston, South Carolina, native, began her law enforcement career with Albany police in 2004, and in 2011 transferred to work at the Darton State College Police. When Darton merged with Albany State she became a patrol sergeant at Albany State, where she also was emergency management coordinator and Clery coordinator. reporting directly to the chief of police.

In 2019 she was named investigations commander while continuing her administrative role, supervising the administrative and support functions of non-sworn personnel in communications.

“Campus policing gives officers an opportunity to serve in a different capacity than what is most often expected,” she said. “We’re afforded the opportunity to be real people and connect on a more personal level to truly positively impact lives. I take this responsibility seriously.

“It is imperative that I leave people feeling positively changed. There are times when you will feel unappreciated, but in this line of work satisfaction comes in ways that others will never understand.”

Ethridge is a member of Pi Alpha Alpha International Honor Society for Public Affairs and Administration. She holds a master’s degree in public administration from Albany State and a bachelor’s degree in criminology from the University of West Georgia.

Special Photo: Albany Technical College