Governor Brian Kemp announced today Lt. Colonel William Hitchens III will be taking over as the Georgia Dept. of Public Safety Commissioner, which includes the Georgia State Patrol, following the retirement of Col. Chris Wright.
The Board of Public Safety voted unanimously to approve the shift following Wright’s announcement last week of his intentions to retire at the end of September.
Wright served as a member of law enforcement in Georgia for close to 30 years, starting his career as a radio operator with the Georgia State Patrol in 1994 and eventually serving as troop commander in 2015 before rising to the head of DSP and GSP in 2020.
The Board also confirmed Major Kendrick Lowe to serve as Colonel of the Georgia State Patrol and Deputy Commissioner for DPS. Both Hitchens and Lowe will begin service starting October 1.
