Alpharetta's Joyner Earns Governor's Public Safety Award

Alpharetta Department of Public Safety Officer Terry Joyner was honored for his Outstanding Contribution to Profession by Gov. Nathan Deal as he handed out the Governor's Public Safety Awards today.

“I am honored to recognize our brave law enforcement officers and emergency responders who risk their lives every day to make our state a safer place,” said Deal. “Public safety is one of the most solemn obligations of state government, and I thank these heroes for their selfless commitment to Georgia citizens.”

The annual Governor’s Public Safety Awards program began in 1998 to recognize public safety officers who go above and beyond the call of duty to protect citizens and make significant contributions to the public safety profession at large, according to a release from the Governor's office.

“We are honored to have the opportunity to pay tribute to Georgia’s public safety professionals who risk their lives daily and sacrifice time away from their families to protect the community,” said Georgia Public Safety Training Center director Timothy J. Bearden.

 Joyner serves as Alpharetta's community relations officer. He implements programs designed to teach safety skills to the public including: the Citizens Police Academy; the National Night Out program, which offers parents an opportunity to have their child photographed, fingerprinted and DNA typed; the Police and Citizens Together program; and several fundraising events that benefit the Alpharetta Public Safety Foundation.

Joyner designed the “Your Car is Not a Safe” program to spread the word to the Alpharetta community about the problem of entering auto offenses in an effort to reduce property crime. He developed a proactive awareness program using graphics on marked police vehicles to advise the public of the risks associated with leaving valuables in their vehicles. As a direct result of this highly successful program, the Alpharetta Department of Public Safety has experienced a 26 percent decrease in the number of entering auto offenses.

Additionally, as the marked vehicle drives through various communities, the program has become a valuable public relations tool for the agency in establishing new relationships while strengthening existing ones.

Joyner started his career with the Roswell Police Department in May 1970, climbing the ranks until he became chief of police in 1976. He retired from that agency and began working for the defense contractor Lockheed Martin, rising through the ranks until he was appointed the chief of security in 1998 and continued in that role for 21 years before retiring.

He was elected to Roswell City Council in 1986 and continued to serve as a member until 2008.

In 2005, Joyner went back to work a police officer with the Alpharetta Department of Public Safety, where he continues to serve.