Toccoa Resident Appointed to State Board

A Toccoa resident has been appointed to serve on a State board.

Bruce Carlisle is the Chief of Police in Lavonia, but lives here in Toccoa.

According to a report in the Franklin County Citizen, Carlisle was recently appointed by Governor Nathan Deal to the State’s Board of Public Safety.

Working under the Georgia Department of Public Safety, the Board of Public Safety is responsible for oversight of several departments, as well as policy formation and approval for the DPS, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and the Georgia Public Safety Training Center.

In an interview with the Franklin County Citizen, Carlisle said he was recommended for the Board by Georgia State Patrol Commissioner Col. Mark McDonough.

Carlisle said he was honored and humbled by the appointment and credits his Department with quote, “making him look good.”

He also credits Lavonia Mayor Ralph Owens and the City Council for allowing him to serve on the Board.

As a board member, Carlisle will be responsible for approving new State Patrol Posts, approving training procedures for new recruits, and helping to establish general policies for the GBI.

Other duties will include approving rules and regulations for the Georgia Crime Information Center, and helping to establish general polices and procedures for the DPS.

Carlisle noted his appointment speaks volumes for the City of Lavonia and Northeast Georgia.

“He could have chosen a representative from anywhere,” he concluded. To have a representative on the board from a rural area like Lavonia is a big deal.”

Carlisle will serve on the Board of Public Safety for three years.