Administration
Chief of Police
The Chief of Police is responsible for overall leadership of every department member and is committed to serving our community to enhance the quality of life and to nurture public trust by holding ourselves to the highest standards of performance and ethics.
Meet Chief Gary L. Goodwin
Chief Gary Goodwin began his law enforcement career with the Metro Nashville Police Department in September of 1975 in the Communications Division. He graduated from the Tennessee Law Enforcement Training Academy in 1980 and worked with the Metro Park Police. In 1981, Chief Goodwin joined the Metro Nashville Police Department and graduated from their training academy. He accepted assignments at various ranks in Patrol, Homicide Division, District Attorney General's Office, Vice and Training. He then served as the Executive Officer for the Field Operations Deputy Chief until his retirement in November of 2012. At Metro Nashville Police Department, he served 37 years in law enforcement service. In December of 2012, Gary Goodwin was hired at Goodlettsville Police Department as Chief of Police.
Chief Goodwin has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Public Management from Austin Peay State University and is a graduate of the F.B. I. Academy.
Commander James Driver graduated from Goodlettsville High School in 1986 and went on to graduate from the University of Western Kentucky with a degree in Psychology in 1991. James started his career with the Goodlettsville Police Department as a Communications Officer in 1992. James graduated from the Tennessee Law Enforcement Training Academy in December of 1992. While in patrol James rose to the rank of Sergeant. In 2015 James was appointed to the rank of Commander and is a 2015 graduate of the Northwestern University Center for Public Safety’s Police Staff and Command School. Commander Driver is over the Field Operations Division which includes the entire Patrol Division that is comprised of four different details. He also oversees the Fatality Crash Team for the department.
Commander Audra Cherry started her law enforcement career in 1994 as a Communications Officer. She came to Goodlettsville Police Department in 1999 as a patrol officer and attended the Tennessee Law Enforcement Training Academy. She was appointed to the rank of Commander in 2015. Commander Cherry is currently the Investigative Services Commander and supervises the Criminal Investigations Division. She serves as the Community Coordinator for the department which entails coordinating the Citizens Police Academy, National Night Out Against Crime as well as the Neighborhood Watch Program and any other Community Programs. She is also the department’s Accreditation Manager and supervises the Records Division and is the General Departmental Instructor through the POST Commission for the department. Commander Cherry is a member of the Tennessee Law Enforcement Training Officers’ Association and the Tennessee Public Safety Network, and is a POST certified instructor in several areas as well as a Master Instructor. Audra is a 2013 graduate of the Northwestern University Center for Public Safety’s Police Staff and Command School and has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice from Bethel University.
Commander Jason DeLoach started his law enforcement career as a Communications Officer in 1994. He went to the patrol division in 1995. Jason was promoted to the rank of Commander in 2018. Jason supervises the Training Division, Communications Division, and FTO Division and is responsible for inventory management and purchasing. Commander DeLoach is currently the Range Master for the Police Department and is a POST certified Emergency Vehicle Operations Instructor, Firearms Instructor, Taser Instructor, and GLOCK and AR armorer for the police department. Commander DeLoach is also the department’s Terrorism Liaison Officer and attends Homeland Security Workshops regularly. He is also a member of the Tennessee Law Enforcement Officers Training Association. Commander DeLoach is a 2017 graduate of the Northwestern University Center for Public Safety’s Police Staff and Command School.
Lieutenant Tim Preston started his law enforcement career with the Goodlettsville Police Department as a Communications Officer in 1994. He started in the Patrol Division in 1995. Tim was instrumental in the implementation of the first Field Training Officer Program for the department. Tim was promoted to Lieutenant over the Training Division in 2018. Lieutenant Preston is the department’s Training Supervisor which entails organizing Patrol In-Services and ensuring the department is POST compliant. Lieutenant Preston is a POST certified Emergency Vehicle Operations Instructor. Tim also holds the responsibility of supervising the Field Training Officer Program for newly hired officers. Lieutenant Preston is the fleet manager for the department along with assisting with inventory management and GovDeals.