For Haley Beckham, becoming Mercer University’s new police chief meant a chance for career growth and a return to her passion for community policing.
Chief Beckham stepped into the role June 1, succeeding Chief Gary Mills upon his retirement. She is Mercer’s first female police chief.
She grew up in Wilkinson County and now calls Milledgeville home. A career in law enforcement wasn’t always on her mind, but she took a chance on it after graduating from Georgia College & State University in 2009.
“There was a great sense of uncertainty with getting out of college and landing a job,” Beckham said in reference to the Great Recession during that time. “My major was psychology, and continuing my education was something I wanted to do. I just didn’t know what it looked like in the current economic state.”
At her mother’s suggestion, Beckham looked into the field of law enforcement and became a deputy sheriff in Baldwin County, a role she served in for 10 years.
“I gave it a shot with no expectations. I went in from a training and learning aspect of it. Even 15 years in, I’m still learning. I’m still developing. Law enforcement in particular, when it comes to training and development … you have to be able to adapt to not only what’s happening in your area of the country when it comes to law enforcement but all aspects across the country.”
Working as a deputy sheriff in a small town allowed her to gain experience in every area, from jail to patrol to narcotics division to gang investigations. She concluded her time there as manager of the sex offender registry and full-time gang investigator.
Wishing to advance her knowledge of criminal street gangs, Beckham joined the Department of Juvenile Justice’s special investigations unit, later becoming its chief investigator. The unit handled gang investigations and intelligence across Georgia, overseeing 25 facilities and 78 community service offices.
Following this role, she became the manager of the school safety section at the Georgia Public Safety Training Center in Forsyth. She led the development and training of K-12 school resource officers throughout the state and managed the gang and narcotics programs.
Beckham was interested in the police chief position at Mercer because it allowed her to return to her community policing roots and take on a new challenge. Career change is always going to be “hard” and “scary,” but it’s worth it for the chance to learn and advance, Beckham said.
“I have only expanded and changed my career because it was an opportunity for growth and development,” she said. “Taking on this particular role (at Mercer) was very challenging, and that was going to develop me. I’ve missed that aspect of public service ever since I left the sheriff’s department in Baldwin County. At Mercer, I was going to be able to serve a community. Taking pride in community policing, that’s a legacy I want to continue at Mercer.”
Among her initial goals as police chief are evaluating equipment, training, policies and other operational elements and building community.
“One of the biggest challenges but also goals is to have the students trust us and come to us for their needs. If it’s safety related and they feel like Mercer Police needs to know, I want them to have the trust to come to us,” she said.
In addition to her responsibilities as the chief, Beckham also plans to advocate for the Peace Officers’ Annuity and Benefit Fund of Georgia, the state’s law enforcement retirement fund, to be expanded to include private universities.
“We’re all working toward the same goal ensuring public safety. Our campus police department operates with the same responsibilities, training, and level of response as any other university police agency,” she said.
Outside of her work, Beckham loves spending time with her 10-year-old daughter and 6-year-old son and being involved in her church. A former student-athlete, she enjoys pickleball, golf, softball and any opportunity to be active.
