Carswell sole finalist for Holly Springs police chief

Holly Springs Deputy Police Chief Michael R. Carswell is the sole finalist for the chief’s job. CITY OF HOLLY SPRINGS

Holly Springs Deputy Police Chief Michael R. Carswell is the sole finalist for the chief’s job. CITY OF HOLLY SPRINGS

Holly Springs has named Deputy Police Chief Michael R. Carswell the sole finalist for the top cop’s job, to open up in January when the present chief, Ken Ball, leaves for the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office.

Carswell joined the Holly Springs Police Department in 2009, rising through the ranks from officer to sergeant, detective sergeant, lieutenant and captain. He was sworn in as deputy chief in January 2014. Carswell previously served with the Smyrna and Marietta police and with the Pickens County Sheriff’s office.

Carswell completed the Southern Police Institute’s Administrative Officers Course and the Police Executive Leadership Graduate Program in Louisville, Ky., and is a graduate of the Georgia Law Enforcement Command College. He has a master’s degree in public administration from Columbus State University and a bachelor’s in business management from Shorter University.

Ball announced in June that he would retire by year’s end to become chief deputy to Cherokee Sheriff-elect Frank Reynolds.