Special Operations Division

Captain Forrest Bohannon is the Special Operations Division Commander. She was one of the founding officers of the Sandy Springs Police Department, after having previously worked at the Fulton County Police Department. Captain Bohannon has served as Night Commander, Administration/Community Affairs Commander, Uniform Patrol, and is currently the Special Operations Division Commander. Her educational background includes a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of San Diego and a Masters in Public Safety Administration from Columbus State University. Additionally, she is a graduate of Northwestern University’s School of Police Staff and Command (Class #399), Georgia Law Enforcement Command College (Class 56), and the FBI National Academy (Session 281). Captain Bohannon is a graduate of the 2018 Leadership Sandy Springs class.

Captain Bohannon can be contacted via e-mail or phone at 770-551-3325.

Lieutenant Joe Simone is currently assigned to the Special Operations Division overseeing the Street Crimes Unit and K-9 Unit. Lt. Simone, a native New Yorker, began his law enforcement career in 1995 with the Fulton County Police Department and moved to SSPD in 2006. His assignments have included Patrol, Narcotics, Special Investigations, and the DEA Task Force during his career. Lt. Simone is a Reinhardt University graduate with a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice.

Lieutenant Simone can be contacted via e-mail or phone at 770-551-6934

Sergeant Tim Snow is currently assigned to the Street Crimes Unit. Sergeant Snow began his law enforcement career in 1998 in the State of Alabama. In 2009, Sergeant Snow joined the Sandy Springs Police Department. In 2021 he was promoted to the rank of Sergeant and assigned to the Uniform Patrol Division.

During his 24 year career, his assignments have included Uniform Patrol, Field Training Officer, Criminal Investigations, Special Investigations Unit (Narcotics Unit), Special Operations Crime Suppression Team Street Crimes Unit and Quick Response Force (QRF) Team. He is a graduate of Liberty University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice.

Sgt. Snow can be contacted via e-mail or by phone at 770-551-2572

Sergeant Nick Smith is a supervisor for the K-9 Unit. Sgt. Smith has been with the Sandy Springs Police Department since its inception in 2006 and is one of the original 86 officers. His past assignments include Patrol, Criminal Investigations Division, and Background & Recruiting. Sgt. Smith has a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from the State University of New York at Brockport and is a certified instructor from the International Police Mountain Bike Association (IPMBA). Additionally, Sgt. Smith is the Assistant Commander of the Quick Response Force (QRF) team, a multi-functional unit composed of Sandy Springs Police Officers and Tactical Medics from the Sandy Springs Fire Department.
Sgt. Smith can be contacted via e-mail or phone at 770-554-6924.

Lieutenant Timothy Sheffield is currently assigned to the Special Operations Division overseeing the Traffic Unit and Bicycle Unit. Lieutenant Sheffield has been in law enforcement for over 25 years. He has served with Sandy Springs Police Department since 2008. His background consists of Uniform Patrol, Tactical Operations, Motorcycle Operations, SWAT, Narcotics investigations, and K9. Lieutenant Sheffield has an Associate of Science in Criminal Justice from Columbia Southern University.

Lieutenant Sheffield can be contacted via e-mail or phone at 770-551-6918.

Sergeant Marc P. McGowan currently supervises the Traffic Unit. He joined the Sandy Springs Police Department in 2010 and has over 25 years of law enforcement experience.

Before joining the Sandy Springs Police Department, Sergeant McGowan served with the Fulton County and Henry County Police Departments. His experience includes Uniform Patrol, Criminal Investigations, Field Training Officer, and Community Policing. He is also a member of the North Metro Crisis Negotiations Team. He was promoted to Sergeant in 2016

Sergeant McGowan can be contacted via email or phone at 770-551-2565.

Sergeant F. Esposito is a supervisor in the Traffic Unit. Sergeant Esposito has been with the department since 2016, where he has worked in Patrol and the Street Crimes Unit. He is an Assistant Team Leader with the North Metro SWAT team and is one of the certified explosive breachers. He was promoted to the rank of Sergeant in 2021. He started his career in 2012 with the DeKalb County Police Department.

Sergeant Esposito can be reached via email or by phone at 770-206-1499.

Sergeant A. Rausch is the supervisor of the Sandy Springs Bike Unit, he supervises six bike officers, who together patrol the downtown area of Sandy Springs. Sgt. Rausch is also commander over the Sandy Springs Police Swift water Rescue team. He began his career at the Sandy Springs in July 2006 after having previously worked at the Fulton County Police Department. In 2009, he was promoted to the rank of Sergeant and assigned to evening watch patrol. In addition to patrol duties, he has served as a deputy district commander and as a community coordinator. Additionally, Sgt. Rausch supervised the Criminal Investigations unit for several years. He is a graduate of the University of Georgia with bachelor degrees in Criminal Justice and Sociology.

Sergeant Rausch can be contacted via e-mail or phone at 770-551-3305

Sergeant Cory Begeal supervises the Bike Patrol Unit. Sergeant Begeal is a native New Yorker, began his law enforcement career in 1998, and is an original Sandy Springs Police Department member. During his 24-year career, his assignments have included Uniform Patrol, Community Affairs, Special Investigation Unit, Crime Suppression Unit, and North Metro S.W.A.T.

Sergeant Begeal can be contacted via e-mail or by phone at 770-206-1537.