On October 7, 2022, Athens-Clarke County Manager Blaine Williams appointed Athens-Clarke County Deputy Police Chief Jerry Saulters to serve as Police Chief.

Saulters started his law enforcement career with the Athens-Clarke County Police Department in 1998. Prior to joining law enforcement, he served in the United States Army. 

Saulters is a graduate of the Southern Police Institute Administrative Officers Course at the University of Louisville and the Columbus State University professional management program. He has over 3,000 hours of advanced law enforcement training and graduated in 2022 from the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police’s Chief Executive Training program.

After joining the ACCGov Police Department, Saulters initially spent seven years in the Uniform Division as a patrolman before serving in and eventually supervising the Criminal Investigations Division Robbery/Homicide Unit. He later served as a shift commander for the midnight shift of the West Precinct; transferred to the command staff to oversee the Office of Professional Standards, Recruitment, and Crime Prevention; commanded the Criminal Investigations Division; and was promoted to Deputy Chief in 2019 in the Operations Bureau and the Administrative Bureau. 

Saulters was named the Sherm Applebaum Officer of the Year in 2012 for outstanding professional and community service by the Athens Rotary Club.