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The Troup County Sheriff’s Office has announced the promotion of two officers within the department.

Sgt. Stewart Smith has been promoted to lieutenant and Cpl. Gabe Garner has been promoted to sergeant. 

Lt. Smith will continue serving as the Public Information Officer for TCSO and will take on the additional role as the supervisor over the Records Division. Aside from his duties with the Sheriff’s Office, Lieutenant Smith serves as the External Affairs Officer for the Troup County Emergency Management Agency. 

Smith was also recently sworn in as the President of the National Information Officers Association during its annual conference held in Clearwater Beach, Florida. Smith served the

previous year as Vice President and also as a former Region Director. Smith is the first NIOA President to represent the state of Georgia.

NIOA is the largest group of government and public safety communicators in the world with over 1,000 members nationwide. NIOA members are actively employed by local, county, state, or federal government agencies, or any public safety or emergency services organization where duties include managing public information.

Smith is also recognized as an Advanced Public Information Officer through FEMA and he has completed the Media and Public Relations Course through FBI-LEEDA. 

The longtime deputy has served the people of Troup County for nearly 27 years. 

Sgt. Garner has been with the Troup County Sheriff’s Office for over 17 years serving as a patrol deputy and field training officer in our patrol division. Garner now takes on the role of shift supervisor in the patrol division.

Sergeant Garner is also a certified field training officer and hostage negotiator.