Investigations Division - Assistant Chiefs Investigators

Born and raised in NYC, Assistant Chief Obed Ford has always wanted to make a difference. He champions the weak and opposes bullies.

I began my career in the United States Army, where I obtained a top-secret clearance and was promoted to the rank of Sergeant. I attended Cleveland State University in Cleveland, Ohio, where I studied Accounting.

Originally from Chicago, Bernice Higgins moved to Atlanta in August 2006 when she was accepted to Clark Atlanta University. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice with a concentration in Forensic Science. She has been working in law enforcement for 11 years and has experience in investigations ranging from narcotics, sexual assault and homicide.

Assistant Chief Kendall Tucker possesses fifteen years of experience as a Georgia P.O.S.T Certified Peace Officer.

After joining the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office in 2018, Paula was assigned to the Crimes Against Women and Children Unit, where she worked with prosecutors to achieve justice. She has always had a heart for helping others, but since becoming an investigator in this office, she feels that she is fulfilling her life’s purpose by working closely with victims of the most heinous of crimes.

Assistant Chief Temperance Stoddard is a Georgia native and proud descendant of a long line of law enforcement leaders. She has over 12 years of experience in the field of Public Safety and over a decade of Investigative experience.

James Spear is a native of Georgia and has a law enforcement career history of 12 years within the city of Atlanta and Fulton County jurisdictions.

Assistant Chief Joseph Rickman has been in public service since age 17 when he joined the Georgia Army National Guard as an Infantryman. In 1990, the then-19-year-old became a Department of Corrections officer at Lee Arrendale State Prison in Alto, Georgia.

Assistant Chief Hill is a native of Savannah, Georgia, where he attended Benedictine Military School. Upon graduating with honors, he received a full Army ROTC Scholarship to Fort Valley State University where he majored in Criminal Justice.

Saul is a native of Los Angeles and moved to Atlanta where he began his career in law enforcement during the 1996 Olympics.

Assistant Chief Greg Thomas began his law enforcement career as a police officer with the Savannah Police Department in Savannah, Georgia, in 1989. There, he served as a patrol officer before being promoted to the Criminal Investigations Unit.

A native of Laplace, Louisiana, Thomas Ricks has 20 years of experience in the security field.