Welcome to the big time, Chief Orrick. 

In the same week that the City of Roswell announced the hiring of former Cordele, Ga. Public Safety Director Dwayne Orrick, the RPD showed their new boss how its done in the big city: they nabbed two kidnapping suspects in a 48-hour span in Roswell vehicle theft and kidnapping case.

On January 25, a Roswell woman experienced a mother's worst nightmare. The female parked her car at a Shell Gas station and ran into the store to grab a pack of spuds. While she was in the store, she watched in horror as a man and a woman drove off with her car. A car that still had her 3-year-old daughter in it. The nightmare ended for the woman just under an hour later when police found the 3-year-old unharmed. The child had apparently been dropped off in a local neighborhood --McBride Court in Roswell -- where she calmly walked up to a house and rang the doorbell. At that point, the resident of the house called authorities. 

At around 5:45 p.m., the RPD was dispatched to 890 Atlanta Street. Upon officers arrival it was confirmed that a 2010 Nissan Altima was stolen with the three year old child in the back seat of the vehicle. 

The vehicle was recovered around 8:00 a.m., on Wednesday in southwest Atlanta near H.E. Holmes and the MLK area.

Late on Tuesday night, information was received that lead to the apprehension of the first suspect in the case, an 18 year old female, Mishaline Briana McDade. She was arrested at 711 Martin Street in Atlanta early Wednesday.

The RPD wasted no time in nabbing the second suspect on a tip received later that same day. On Thursday at approximately 3:12 p.m., members of the Roswell Police SWAT Team arrested Devon William Johnson, 17, at his residence at 8020 Cedar Cove, Roswell without incident.

Both suspects, now in custody, are charged with theft by taking a motor vehicle, kidnapping, battery, and reckless conduct.

ROSWELL'S NEW TOP GUN

As reported in The Beacon last week, Roswell's City Administrator Kay Love went to her old stomping grounds of Southern Georgia to get the city's new top cop. Orrick, 49, served as Cordele's police chief for 16 years before being promoted to Public Safety Director in 2006. Cordele has a population of 12,000. Roswell is a city of over 100,000.

Love went out on a limb with her pick. Orrick was not interviewed by the all of city's council members and this newspaper criticized the potential selection of a small town chief.

The new RPD Chief, who replaces the embattled Ed Williams, will officially start his new $115,000 per year gig on Valentines Day.

Williams was forced to take early retirement after 16 years on the job amidst a burgeoning litany of complaints on his leadership style by the rank and file.

Orrick says his goal is to make Roswell the best police organization in the southeast.

It took Love about six months to recruit, vet, and hire a new chief. Roswell only looked in Georgia and did not conduct a nationwide search. Records show 67 applicants were reviewed.

Love's three finalists were all from rural South Georgia towns.