Harris receives GBI promotion

CLEVELAND, Ga. — The Georgia Bureau of Investigation announced the promotion of Melanie Harris of Cleveland to criminal justice compliance supervisor in the Georgia Crime Information Center.

Harris will continue to conduct audits while overseeing personnel within the GCIC Criminal Justice Information Services Compliance Program. As a supervisor, she will be responsible for ensuring that all triennial audit requirements are met, making recommendations on CJIS network compliance policies and procedures, and implementing those policies to ensure compliance with state and federal laws.

“Melanie Harris is a seasoned professional with over two decades of service in criminal justice,” GBI Director Chris Hosey said. “Her extensive experience, exceptional expertise in CJIS compliance and NICS, and unwavering commitment to public safety have made Melanie an invaluable asset to the GBI. I am confident that she will continue to excel in her new role as criminal justice compliance supervisor.”

“As the subject matter expert for the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) Indices, Melanie is a vital member of GCIC,” GCIC Division Director Rhonda Westbrook said. “Her extensive and diverse criminal justice experience, and her contributions to compliance, training and criminal justice collaboration have strengthened agencies across the state. This promotion reflects both her exceptional qualifications and the respect she has earned among her colleagues and partners.”

Harris began her career in 2002 with the Georgia Department of Corrections. She joined the GBI in 2014 as a criminal justice compliance specialist for the GCIC CJIS Compliance Program and is considered GCIC’s subject matter expert for the National Instant Criminal Background Check System Indices.

Harris has 24 years of combined criminal justice experience. In addition to her work at the Department of Corrections and the GBI, she has served with the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice, the Appalachian Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office, the Northeastern Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office, the Union County Sheriff’s Office and the Fannin County Sheriff’s Office.

Additionally, Harris served as chair of the Fannin County Domestic Violence Task Force, was a member of the Child Fatality Review Board and was appointed to the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council. During her time on the council, she served as chair of the Crime Victims Compensation Board and was a member of both the Executive Committee and Victim Assistance Grants Committee.

Harris has conducted more than 800 federal, state and local criminal justice agency audits. She is a P.O.S.T.-certified instructor, has provided instruction at the annual GCIC CJIS Training Symposium since 2015 and has been invited to speak at numerous state and federal conferences.

Harris attended Columbus State University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in criminal justice. She is the mother of two and resides with her husband, Kevin Harris, the Cleveland city manager, in Cleveland.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is comprised of three primary divisions: the GBI Crime Laboratory, the Investigative Division and the Georgia Crime Information Center. The agency has more than 900 employees and a current budget of $162.6 million.