Walhalla police chief has college degree, and it shows

One Walhalla councilman says he believes Police Chief Sean Brinson is the city’s first chief with a college degree. And, for those who got to hear Brinson’s talk to the Rotary Club, the college degree will bode well for how the police department is changing. With emphasis on training and technology, Brinson tuned his audience yesterday into his “1, 3, and 5 year plan.” That plan, he hopes, will piggyback onto some technological strides already accomplished by the Oconee Sheriff’s Office that provide instant communications. Brinson is in his third month as chief and fourth year as a member of the department. He started his law enforcement career in Henderson County, North Carolina. Today’s Walhalla police force numbers 13 officers, some of whom grew up in the local area. With the changes Walhalla’s downtown business area has seen since the streetscape project, there’s some talk in the city that the city fathers will eventually want to move the police station off Main Street. When asked about that possibility, Brinson would later say he’s hopeful the police department will grow to a size that will justify new headquarters.