Brookhaven police chief named Outstanding Chief at conference

SAVANNAH — The Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police (GACP) named Gary Yandura, police chief for the Brookhaven Police Department, as this year’s Outstanding Chief of the Year. Yandura was selected as the 2020 recipient for his proactive contributions to his department, to the GACP, and to the state’s law enforcement community. He was presented the prestigious award Tuesday during GACP’s training conference in Savannah.

Also at the meeting, the GACP announced that Lilburn Police Chief Bruce Hedley had been sworn in as the GACP president.

With more than 45 years of experience, this year’s recipient of GACP’s Outstanding Chief of the Year Award began his career in 1975 with the Lake Forrest, Ill., Police Department. There, he rose to the rank of Deputy Chief and retired after 24 years of service. He was then appointed as the chief of the College Park department in 1999, the Hiram Police Department in 2013 and Brookhaven Police Department in 2013.

Yandura has a long list of accomplishments that have placed the newly formed Brookhaven Police Department on the leading edge of law enforcement agencies in Georgia. Under his leadership, the department as earned certification through the GACP Law Enforcement Certification Program. He also played a large role in increasing the number of sworn officers from 56 to 82, with a total staffing level of more than 100 employees.

As a result, the community has seen a dramatic reduction in violent crime and improved police-community relationships, particularly among minority and historically disengaged populations. Programs implemented to improve these relationships include the department’s Citizen’s Police Academy conducted in English and Spanish, Citizens on Patrol, Police Explorers, a Drug Take-Back Program and Shop with A Badge.

His vision to establish public-private partnerships with corporations, local businesses and neighborhood associations helped the city of Brookhaven earn recognition of being the Safest City in DeKalb County by Safe Home in 2016-2017. In addition, the department’s innovative partnership with Georgia Power Co. was the first of its kind to bring fixed Automated License Plate Readers technology to every road in the city, paving the way for many other Georgia police agencies.

This year’s recipient serves as the GACP Committee Chair for the State Association of Chiefs of Police. He also represented GACP on the Compensation of Police and Sheriffs Task Force, a Joint House and Senate Committee on Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Minors and Georgia’s Domestic Violence Fatality Review Committee, as well as a Board Member for the Georgia International Law Enforcement Exchange, Georgia CIT Advisory Board, and Atlanta Metropol.

He is the past president of Atlanta Metropol and the Dekalb County Chief’s Association.

In addition to his professional accomplishments, Yandura also plays an active role in the community, including membership with the Rotary Club, past lieutenant governor of Georgia’s 16th Kiwanis Division and Board of Directors for the Dekalb County Department of Family and Children Services. As a board member for Georgia’s Chapter for the National Alliance for Mental Illness, he was awarded the NAMI Leadership Award in 2017. He also is a volunteer reader at area elementary schools and helped to coordinate several golf outings benefiting a variety of community programs.

Hedley joined the Lilburn Police Department in June 2008. Prior to that assignment, he served 20 years with the Atlanta Police Department, where he retired as a unit commander.

Hedley currently oversees a department with 32 sworn officers, eight civilian employees, and many part-time employees and volunteers. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business management and a master’s degree in public administration. Hedley is a graduate of the Georgia Law Enforcement Command College and the 239th Session of the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Va. He is a veteran of the United States Army and the Georgia Army National Guard.

Hedley is an active member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, Georgia Chiefs of Police, FBI Academy Associates (National and Georgia Chapter), Gwinnett Chiefs Association, and Gwinnett Metro Task Force. He is a past president of the Gwinnett Chiefs Association, treasurer of the Gwinnett Metro Task Force, advisory board member for the Gwinnett Technical College — Criminal Justice Division, and serves on the board of directors for Care for Cops.

Hedley and his wife, Michelle, reside in Gwinnett County. They have two children: Bruce, 15 and Brooke, 10.

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