Lance H. Deaton
Deputy Chief Bureau of Support Services

Deputy Chief Lance H. Deaton

Deputy Chief Lance H. Deaton began his career with the Columbus Police Department as a Patrol Officer on January 3, 2003. As a Patrol Officer, he served in the, Patrol Division and Traffic Unit / Motor Squad. As a Detective, he worked in the Robbery / Homicide Unit. As a Sergeant, he served in the Bureau of Investigative Services and was assigned to the Robbery / Homicide Unit and was one of the initial supervisors in the departments newly formed Homicide Unit. As a Lieutenant, he worked in the Patrol Division as an Assistant Shift Commander and then was assigned to lead the departments Traffic Unit / Motor Squad. As a Deputy Chief, he is in charge of the Bureau of Support Services which is made up of the Property and Evidence Unit, 911 call center, Quartermaster, Record Room, Desk Services, Motor pool, Facility’s and Technology.

Deputy Chief Deaton has a Master of Science degree in Justice Administration from Columbus State University along with a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice from Troy State University. He completed the Professional Management Program at the Georgia Law Enforcement Command College at Columbus State University. He is currently a member of the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police and the International Association of Chiefs of Police.

Bureau of Support Services

The Bureau of Support Services provides a variety of support functions for the entire department. It includes the state-of-the-art 911 Call Center, the Quartermaster Unit (where all supplies are maintained); The Motor Transport Unit where all rolling stock is monitored; Property and Evidence Unit where evidence and recovered property is stored, the Central Reports Unit where tens of thousands of reports, warrants and other documents are maintained; and Desk Services.

911 Operations Center

The 911 Center provides public safety communications and dispatching services for the Police, Fire and E.M.S. departments, as well as other public safety agencies in the area. A highly trained and capable civilian staff of call takers and dispatchers provide efficient services using state-of-the-art communications hardware and software.

Property and Evidence

The primary function of Property and Evidence is to receive, inventory and process all evidence and found property. All property is ultimately disposed of according to city ordinances, state law and Department policy. Disposal may be by destruction, by forwarding to other agencies when appropriate, by returning the item to its rightful owner or by public auction.

Quartermaster Unit

The Quartermaster Unit maintains a complete inventory of all building properties, furniture and other capital equipment, excluding automobiles. The unit also maintains a complete stock of uniforms, equipment and supplies for issuing to the Officers and other employees.

Motor Transport

Motor Transport maintains an inventory of motor vehicles used by the Department including individually assigned vehicles. Careful record keeping tracks operational, maintenance and repair costs on all vehicles. Almost every officer has a vehicle assigned to him/her. This "take-home" car program has resulted in reduced maintenance costs on the vehicles and better response times for many "in-progress" crimes.

Records Room

The Records Room maintains and processes all major report forms used by the Department, such as Incident, Accident, Supplement, Warrants and others. They are responsible for proper distribution of certain reports to key personnel throughout the Department. In addition, they maintain comprehensive criminal history information in cooperative computer relationship with state (Georgia Crime Information Center) and federal (National Crime Information Center) networks.

Desk Services

Desk Services provides the initial point of contact for most people coming to the Public Safety Center. Desk Services is available Monday - Friday between the hours of 8AM and 5PM. The public can obtain police reports, criminal histories and any other information legally distributable. The Photo / Print I.D. Unit (part of the Desk Services Unit) maintains an in-house photo identification card system.

If you need a copy of your criminal history for employment, you must bring a legal picture ID to Desk Services. The charge is $20.00. You must appear in person and you may not get another person's criminal history without specific signed waivers from that individual.

More Information about Criminal History »