Hoover Police Department promotes five officers

July 5, 2016 2:47 PM

Courtesy of Hoover Police Department

Hoover police Chief Nick Derzis recently announced five promotions in the Police Department.

Lt. Chuck McDonald was promoted to captain and will now serve as commander of the department’s Special Operations Bureau, according to an announcement on Facebook.

McDonald started his law career with the Cobb County Police Department, where he served for three years, and has been with Hoover police since 1996. He has commanded the patrol division, investigations division and Special Response Team or SWAT Team. McDonald has been a member of the Special Response Team since 1997.

Sgt. Scott McDonald was promoted to lieutenant and was assigned to Investigations-Family Services and School Resource Officers. He started at the Irondale Police Department before coming to the Hoover Police Department in 2001. During his law enforcement career, he has served as supervisor in patrol, the special investigations unit, financial crimes and Special Response Team.

Sgt. Alan Cohen was promoted to lieutenant as well, and he will serve as watch commander of the patrol division. Cohen joined Hoover police after serving at the Jacksonville State University Police Department.

Since joining Hoover in 2004, Cohen has served in patrol, the training division, honor guard, dive team and as field training officer. He also has various instructor certifications. Most recently, Cohen was supervisor in the patrol and training divisions.

Officer Lane Thompson was promoted to sergeant and assigned to investigations in the narcotics interdiction unit. ICE. Thompson started his career in law enforcement at the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, where he worked for eight years before coming to the Hoover Police Department in 2007. He has served in the patrol division and narcotics interdiction units at Hoover.

Officer Dustin Swinford also was promoted to sergeant, and he will be assigned to the training division. Swinford served at Homewood Police Department for 4 1/2 years before coming to Hoover in 2008. He has served on patrol, as a field training officer, in traffic homicide investigations and has multiple instructor certifications.