“Chief Blankenship has served within the Newnan Police Department since 1999. He has served in the Patrol Division, the Bicycle Patrol Unit, and the Traffic Unit. He was promoted to Detective Sgt. in 2004 with the Criminal Investigation Division. In 2018 he was promoted to Lieutenant over Professional Standards and Certification where he handled Internal Affairs Investigations, Background Investigations and oversaw the process of State Certification. On July 1, 2021, he was promoted to the Chief of Police.

Chief Blankenship is a graduate of LaGrange College, where he earned his Bachelors of Arts Degree. He is a Certified Law Enforcement Instructor for general courses and has completed his supervision and management training through POST. He is active in the community and completed the state-required classes and training to earn his community coach certification. He has assisted the Smokey Road Middle School Football program as an Assistant Coach from 2016 to 2022. He works with youth organizations in the Newnan-Coweta community, assisting with mentoring and coaching kids in baseball, football, and basketball, which also includes local special Olympics sports and Autism baseball leagues.

Chief Blankenship strongly believes in teamwork and connecting with the community. He often says, “Strive for perfection and you will achieve excellence.””