To commemorate Black History Month, the Atlanta Police Department has launched “28 days of Black Atlanta Police Department History” this month. The first installment on Feb. 1 featured Chief Beverly Harvard who served as the city of Atlanta’s 21st police chief.
Here are some facts:
Chief Harvard was appointed in 1994.
First APD female to be assigned to the Executive Protection Unit
First African American female Deputy Chief
First female APD officer to graduate from FBI Academy.
On October 26, 1994, she was appointed by Mayor Bill Campbell to become the first African-American female chief of a major metropolitan department in the U.S.
Hometown: Macon, GA
College: Morris Brown College & Georgia State University
During her administration, she was responsible for the overall operation of the largest municipal law enforcement agency in the state of Georgia with 2,300 police officers and civilian employees covering five divisions. Harvard initiated community policing which put more officers on the streets in the communities they served and in 1996, was charged with developing a security plan to keep 15,000 Olympic athletes and officials along with 2 million tourists safe within Atlanta.
Learn more APD Black History Month facts at: www.facebook.com/AtlantaPoliceDpt
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