Gastonia Police Sgt. Laura Biggerstaff has been promoted to captain, Detective Eric Seagle has been promoted to sergeant, and 11 recently hired officers have been officially sworn-in for duty. All 13 officers were recognized in a Promotion and Swearing-In Ceremony on Jan. 29 in the Gastonia Police Department Community Room.
“I’m proud of our new captain and sergeant and have great confidence in them as well as the officers being sworn in today,” GPD Chief Robert Helton said.
Capt. Biggerstaff is the second female captain in the police department’s history. The department’s first female captain, Cindy Isenhour, retired from the GPD in 2010 after 25 years of service. Capt. Biggerstaff has 15 years of service with the GPD and holds a master’s degree in Business Administration from Pfeiffer University. She has served with the Street Crimes Unit where she was the first female to serve in the unit in 2006. She transferred to Juvenile Investigations in 2011, was promoted to sergeant in 2012, and served in East and West Patrol Districts. In 2019 she transferred to the position of Central District Community Coordinator sergeant.
Sgt. Eric Seagle has 11 years of service with the GPD. He transferred from Patrol to the Street Crimes Unit in 2012. In 2016 he moved to the Special Investigations Unit where he served until becoming the department’s Training Coordinator in 2018.
Recently hired officers sworn-in during the ceremony include:
Adam Carpenter – hired on July 22, he holds an associate degree in Criminal Justice from Cleveland Community College and completed the Basic Law Enforcement Training program at Gaston College.
Elli Cloninger – hired on June 3, she completed the BLET program at Gaston College.
Thomas Cutler – hired on July 1, he holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Western Carolina University and completed the BLET program at Gaston College.
Ben Dunivan – hired on Dec. 17, 2018, he holds an associate degree in Emergency Medical Science from Cleveland Community College and completed the BLET program at Gaston College.
Steven Guffie – hired on July 22, he completed the BLET program at Gaston College.
Timothy Medlin – hired on June 3, he completed the BLET program at Gaston College, and is active with the Army National Guard.
Derrick Newman – hired on Dec. 17, 2018, he completed the BLET program at Gaston College, and is active with the Army National Guard.
Steven Norton – hired on June 10, he has an associate degree in General Education and completed the BLET program at Cleveland Community College. He is active in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve.
Kwaku Riley – hired on Oct. 14 with experience from G4S security as well as the N.C. Department of Corrections. He completed the BLET program at Central Piedmont Community College.
Judith “Nikki” Warlick – hired on May 13 with 10 years of previous experience, five with the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office and five with the Shelby Police Department. She holds an associate degree in Criminal Justice from Gaston College and completed the BLET program at Cleveland Community College.
David Whatley – hired on July 9 he holds a bachelor’s degree in Children, Youth and Family Ministry from Southeastern University and completed the BLET program at Gaston College.
