A FRESH START

of service

The Easton Police Department wishes to offer a heartfelt goodbye to Acting Captain George Paugh III, who retires on Friday, March 10th. Captain Paugh is retiring after 26 years of service with Easton Police Department.

Deputy Chief Gregory Wright said, “Captain Paugh has been with us for a long time and will be greatly missed. He has always been a dedicated worker, a great resource, and friend. We hate to see him leave, but we wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors and are thankful for all that he has done for us.”

Captain Paugh began with EPD in January of 1997. He started off with the patrol division, where he worked for 2 years before moving to the narcotics unit. He then worked with narcotics for the next 15 years and was promoted to unit supervisor. After his time with the narcotics unit, he was then assigned to the Criminal Investigations Unit as the supervisor. In September of 2017 he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, becoming the department’s Patrol Division Commander.

As the Patrol Division Commander he developed a proposal to increase the department’s K9 unit to 4 teams, which was approved and implemented. He also wrote a proposal for an Unmanned Aerial Systems (drone) Unit, which was approved by the FAA and the Town of Easton.

Captain Paugh also served as the Commander of numerous other units within his division including the K9 Unit, Accident Reconstruction, Crisis Intervention, and a Crisis Response Unit comprised of a negotiation team and tactical team.

In January 2023, he was appointed Acting Captain in a pilot professional development program where he oversaw internal affairs along with policy and procedures.

In his 26 years of service with the EPD, he has been awarded the Silver Star, the Chief’s Award, 3 Commander’s Awards, 2 Exceptional Service Awards, 6 Unit Citations, Police Officer of the Year 2001, Educational Award, Police Officer Award, Service Award Twenty Five Years, Military Service Award, 100 th Year Anniversary Ribbon, and the 2002-2003 Law Enforcement Officer of the Year from the Knights of Columbus. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a Major in Criminal Justice Administration from Trident University International out of Cypress, California.

Following his retirement from EPD, Captain Paugh will continue his law enforcement career as the Chief of Police in Greensboro, Maryland. Captain Paugh stated, “Making the decision to retire from the Easton Police Department, after 26 years has been tough. This is a place that has raised my children, a place that has brought me joy and sadness, a place that has trained and educated me beyond belief, and a place where I have worked with some of the best cops in the industry! You are the sisters and brothers I never had. Thank you all for making this a great place to work.”

Chief Alan Lowrey stated, “It is difficult for a department to lose someone like George Paugh. I will always be grateful for how he welcomed me to the department and assisted my transition. He is a real professional and constantly looking to improve our profession. I am glad he will be working close to us in Caroline County.”