By South Georgia Technical College

South Georgia Technical College has hired Calvin Hodge, Jr. of Leesburg, Ga as its new Campus Police Chief to replace Chief Sammy Stone, who is retiring effective June 30, announced SGTC President Dr. John Watford. Hodge will report to SGTC Vice President of Student Affairs Eulish Kinchens.

Hodge is a 2016 graduate of the SGTC Basic Mandate Police Academy and brings a wealth of experience, a strong commitment to community engagement and a proven history of leadership to the position. He was serving as the Training Coordinator for the Albany State University Police Department prior to accepting the SGTC position. He is a Georgia POST Certified General Instructor with several specialized certifications in de-escalation and conflict resolution.

He has nine years of law enforcement experience that began with the Dawson Police Department. Hodge progressed in his career with the Dougherty County Police Department and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office. He was a Detective Corporal for the Dougherty County Police Department and Deputy Sheriff for the Lee County Sheriff’s Office prior to joining the Albany State University Police Department as the Training Coordinator in 2023.

He was selected as the 2023–2024 Albany State University Police Department’s Supervisor of the Year and was also recognized as the Officer of the Year and Traffic Officer of the Year at the Dougherty County Police Department in 2020-2021.

At Albany State University Police Department, Hodge was responsible for organizing, administering, and overseeing employee training programs as well as assessing training needs, developing training plans, coordinating training logistics, facilitating training sessions and records, ensuring officer compliance and managing the training budget. He also helped coordinate and directly supervise the work of master police officers and security officers in addition to investigating incidents and/or criminal activity on campus.

As the SGTC Campus Police Chief, Hodge will provide management and leadership for the college’s Campus Safety/Security Office. He will also be responsible for the organization, direction, supervision, and day-to-day operation of the department and the overall management of the security and public safety program on multiple campus and at off-campus sites in support of education, research, public service, and residential activities of students, faculty, staff, and members of the public.

He will coordinate operational plans and developments with local and state law enforcement agencies; maintain programs for fire prevention and fire prevention equipment, manage and oversee financial/budget operations of the department and monitor/supervise the activities of personnel to ensure compliance with TCSG policy manual and department procedures, in addition to other duties as assigned.

Hodge is a graduate of Lee County High School and is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Criminal Justice at Albany State University. He and his fiancé, Monifa Baker, currently reside in Lee County. He has five wonderful children.