First Responders – JackHadleyBlackHistoryMuseum

Captain Walter R. Hadley Jr. is the first African American to be hired by the Thomasville County Sheriff Department in 1967.

Sergeant First Class Albert Simmons is the first African American Post Commander in the Georgia State Patrol.

Captain Earl Harris was the first black officer of the Thomasville Fire department. He retired in 2004, with over 30 years of service to the city.

This list ranges from 1973 up until 2010, and honors all black firefighters of the Thomasville Fire Department.

Willie Cook and Augusta Flowers were Thomasville’s first black police officers. Despite serving as a police officers of Thomasville, Officer Cook and Flowers were only allowed to arrest Black citizens, and were only allowed to patrol “the bottom.” Additionally, Cook and his partner were not allowed inside of their own Police station, so in order for them to check out their patrol car, they had to wait outside for a white officer to do it for them.

Sergeant William R. Cook is the son of the first black people officer in Thomasville, Georgia, Willie Cook. Despite knowing of his father’s discrimination when he was a police officer, William R. Cook, wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps and is part of the police force in the city of Miami.

Police Chief James E. Wright, became the first black chief of Police in Thomas County and Coolidge, Georgia. He started his career with the force in Pelham in 1993, after one year he joined the police department In Boston. During his career, he started off as a patrolman and worked his way up the position of Captain. On June 13th, he accepted the position of Chief of Police in Coolidge, Georgia.

Police officer Lt. Karen Cromartie is the first African American Female police officer in the history of Cairo, Georgia. In 1989, Cromartie graduated from the police academy in Albany, Georgia, and few months later he was promoted to the rank of Corporal and made history in Cairo, Georgia. In 1994 she won the award of Police Officer of the year, and in 1997 she was promoted to administrative Lieutenant.

Sandra D. Harper-Abrams was named the Warden of the Thomas County prison in 2004 by the Georgia Department of Correction. She is the first black woman to be named warden of the Thomas County Prison, and is also the first Black county warden in the state of Georgia.

Lucinda J. Brown is the first Female certified officer employed by the Thomasville Police Department. She was hired in 1977, and is a recipient of the “police officer of the year” award.

Mrs. Yolanda A. Johnson Hill is the first African American female firefighter in Thomas County’s History. She began her career in the county Fire department in 2007.

Jasmine Denise Rice is Thomasville’s first African American Female fire fighter. She began her career in the city Fire department in 2013.

Political Advertisement for Greg Hobbs as Thomas County Sheriff

Newspaper publication discussing Thomasville city employees, such as police officer Augusta Flowers.

Sylvia Dyson is a Thomasville native, and worked as a police dispatcher for two years before becoming the first black woman to serve as a Juvenile Officer in the south in 1972.

Rev. Chief Charles Ellis Jackson has had a 3 decade career in the Thomasville Police department, and in 2007 was sworn in to be the agency’s highest ranking officer. Rev. Chief Charles Ellis is the first African American to become the police chief of Thomasville.

Allen D. Powell was the first black Battalion Chief of the Thomasville fire Department. He started with the fire department in 1989, and in 1993 was promoted to engineer. In 1996, he was promoted to Lieutenant, and in 2003 he was promoted to the role of a Captain. In 2005, he made history as he was promoted to Battalion Chief of the Thomasville Fire Department, the first African American to serve in this role.

Willie (Walter) Young is the first African American to be hired by the Thomasville Fire department in 1973.

Captain Walter R. Hadley Jr. is the first African American to be hired by the Thomasville County Sheriff Department in 1967.

Sergeant First Class Albert Simmons is the first African American Post Commander in the Georgia State Patrol.