Veteran law enforcement officer Chip Nix is joining Bainbridge Public Safety.
Nix, the former chief investigator at the Decatur County Sheriff’s Office, resigned from that post on the week of Feb. 25 and was hired by BPS several days later.
Nix will work as an investigator at BPS, under Major Robert Humphrey, who leads the department’s Criminal Investigation Division.
Nix had worked at the DSCO since 2003. He said his decision to resign was not an easy one, but that due to his personal feelings about recent re-organization at the Sheriff’s Office, he felt led to take on a new challenge in his career.
Nix was well-known locally for his roles at the DSCO, including investigation, leader of the department’s dive team and special response team.
He headed up several major investigations into illegal drug sales in the area, including one that brought down a large multi-state meth distribution ring in 2005. He is considered an expert on detecting the presence of homemade meth production labs.
Nix, who was promoted to chief investigator in 2010, also worked closely with other aspects of the Sheriff’s Office, including court security, warrants and the department’s link-up with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s Georgia Crime Information Center (GCIC).
Although he’s changing into a new uniform, Nix said he wants people to know that his reason for being a police officer remains the same.
“I’m passionate about what I do, and I will still be available to anyone in this county who needs assistance or help — just call me,” Nix said.
Nix had a previous stint with BPS, working as a dual-trained firefighter and patrol officer from 1997 to 2003. After graduating from Bainbridge High School, Nix attended police academy and briefly worked at the Whigham, Ga., police department in neighboring Grady County before he became old enough to be hired by BPS.
Nix has a 13-year-old son, Colby, who is a student at Bainbridge Middle School. The father and son are both avid long-distance runners, competing in a number of area events.