William W. Hitchens (born April 26, 1947) is an American former police officer, former Director of Homeland Security and current politician from Georgia. Hitchens is a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

member of the

Georgia House of Representatives The Georgia House of Representatives is the lower house of the Georgia General Assembly (the state legislature) of the U.S. state of Georgia. There are currently 180 elected members. Republicans have had a majority in the chamber since 2005. ...

from the 161st District, serving since 2012.

Education

In 1975, Hitchens earned a Bachelors degree in Criminal Justice / Political Science from

Georgia Southern University Georgia Southern University (GS or Georgia Southern) is a public research university in the U.S. state of Georgia. The flagship campus is in Statesboro, and other locations include the Armstrong Campus in Savannah and the Liberty Campus in Hi ...

. Hitchens graduated from the

FBI National Academy The FBI National Academy is a program of the FBI Academy for active U.S. law enforcement personnel and also for international law enforcement personnel who seek to enhance their credentials in their field and to raise law enforcement standards, kno ...

in Quantico, VA.

Career

In 1965, Hitchens served in the

United States Marines Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through co ...

, until 1969. Hitchens is a Vietnam veteran. In 1969, Hitchens became a Trooper with

Georgia State Patrol The Georgia State Patrol (GSP) was established in March 1937 in the U.S. state of Georgia and is a division of the Georgia Department of Public Safety. It is the primary state patrol agency for the U.S. state of Georgia. Troopers operate prima ...

, until 1997. In 1976, Hitchens served in the United States Coast Guard Reserve Unit Air Station Savannah, until 2001. In 2002, Hitchens was appointed by Governor-Elect

Sonny Perdue George Ervin "Sonny" Perdue III (born December 20, 1946) is an American veterinarian, businessman, politician, and university administrator who served as the 31st United States Secretary of Agriculture from 2017 to 2021. He previously served as t ...

as the Director of Georgia Office Homeland Security. Hitchens served as Director from 2003 to 2005. On November 6, 2012, Hitchens won the election unopposed and became a

member of

for District 161. On November 4, 2014, as an incumbent, Hitchens won the election unopposed and continued serving District 161. On November 8, 2016, as an incumbent, Hitchens won the election unopposed and continued serving District 161. On November 6, 2018, as an incumbent, Hitchens won the election and continued serving District 161. Hitchens defeated Adam Bridges with 63.45% of the votes. On November 3, 2020, as an incumbent, Hitchens won the election unopposed and continued serving District 161.

Personal life

Hitchens' wife is Norma Hitchens. They have 4 children. Hitchens and his family live in

Rincon, Georgia Rincon is a city in Effingham County, Georgia, United States. The 2020 population was 10,934, up from 8,836 at the 2010 census. Rincon is part of the Savannah Metropolitan Statistical Area. History Rincon, in the southeast area of Effingham Cou ...

. Hitchens' son William W. Hitchens, III, is also a law enforcement officer. In 2020, Hitchens' son William W. Hitchens, III, became the Lieutenant Colonel of the

and Deputy Commissioner of Georgia Department of Public Safety.

References

External links

Bill Hitchens at ballotpedia.org

Bill Hitchens at wsav.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hitchens, Bill 1947 births 21st-century American politicians FBI National Academy graduates Georgia Southern University alumni Living people Republican Party members of the Georgia House of Representatives Military personnel from Georgia (U.S. state) United States Department of Homeland Security officials United States Marine Corps personnel of the Vietnam War