Police Chief Mark Scott fondly recounted his initial impressions of Major Richard McCorkle. Scott talked about interviewing as the new police chief, and having the opportunity to talk to some of the officers afterward. When he was through, his wife asked how it went. Scott replied; “well, if I get this job, it’s gonna be interesting, because that’s a couple of interesting guys.” He shared his gratitude. “We would not have been as successful. I don’t think our family would have felt as welcome without you.”

Scott presented McCorkle with his service pistol, next to a box of his badges. Mayor Lee Kinnamon handed McCorkle a proclamation.

After the ceremony, McCorkle told what led him to law enforcement. “My father. He was a secret service agent, so I started in 79.” He talked about running the drug unit, and moving through the ranks. “It’s been an outstanding job. A lot of people don’t want to finish what they start. I’m very pleased to cross the finish line, 35 years with the City.”

McCorkle also talked about the future of law enforcement in Americus. “There’s challenging times ahead, but we got the kind of leadership in this agency to address the challenges of the future, so it’s time for young people to step up, and take us forward.”

When asked about notable drug busts, he was unable to pick out one in particular; “I ran the federal drug unit from 1997 to 2000. We averaged well over 500 arrests per year, three years running.”