Kannapolis Police Chief Terry Spry announces the promotion of both Jennifer Hyatt and Brent Rowland to the position of Captain; Jason Hinson to the position of Lieutenant and Chris Howard to the position of Sergeant.
Captain Jennifer Hyatt will lead the Special Operations Bureau. She will be responsible for the Community Services Unit, Training and Office of Professional Standards. Hyatt began her career with the Kannapolis Police Department as a Patrol Officer in 2007. Since that time, she has served in the Patrol Division and as Lieutenant of the Criminal Investigation Divisions She was awarded a Police Commendation in 2008 and a Unit Commendation in 2014.
She was promoted to Sergeant in 2016 and Lieutenant in 2017. She earned the designation of Master Police Officer in 2018. In addition to her regular duties, Hyatt is one of the department’s certified polygraph examiners and is a Hostage Negotiator for the Special Response Team.
A graduate of Smoky Mountain High School in Sylva, NC, Hyatt earned an Associate Degree in Criminal Justice Technology from Southwestern Community College and a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice from Western Carolina University. She also holds an Advanced Law Enforcement Certificate from the N.C. Criminal Justice Education and Training Standards Commission. Jennifer is married to Kara and is the daughter of Pam and Billy Hyatt.
Captain Brent Rowland will oversee the Field Operations Bureau. His responsibilities will include the Patrol and Traffic Divisions. He began his career with the Kannapolis Police Department as a patrol officer in 2002. In 2009 he earned the designation of Police Officer II and was promoted to Sergeant in 2010, Master Police Officer in 2018 and Lieutenant in 2020.
In addition to his regular duties, Brent is one of the agency’s certified traffic reconstruction specialists. He is a member of the Special Response Team and Honor Guard, and he also serves as coordinator of the Drone Unit. He was awarded a Police Commendation in 2008 for outstanding actions in the performance of duty, was the 2009 recipient of the Rowan Optimist Club Officer of the Year Award and was honored in 2019 for outstanding work in the community by Cannon Memorial Lodge #626. He also received a Life Saving Award from the department in 2020.
Rowland holds an Advanced Law Enforcement Certificate from the N.C. Criminal Justice Education and Training Standards Commission. He is a graduate of First Assembly Christian School and studied criminal justice at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Brent is married to Tracy Rowland and the son of Steve and Carol Rowland.
Lieutenant Jason Hinson will be assigned to Patrol Squad D. He has been with the Kannapolis Police Department since 2000 when he started as a patrol officer. He was named one of the department’s first K-9 officers in 2002 and received a Distinguished Service Award for his work in that role in 2007. He became a Master Police Officer in 2009 and was promoted to Sergeant in 2010. He also serves on the Special Response Team as a hostage negotiator.
Hinson is a graduate of Concord High School and holds an Advanced Law Enforcement Certificate from the N.C. Justice Education and Training Standards Commission He is married to Jennifer and they have three children, Anson, Scotty and Samantha. He is the son of Jeff and Gail Lambert and Frank Hinson.
Sergeant Chris Howard joined the Kannapolis Police Department in 2012. He earned his designation as Master Police Officer in 2018. He is a member of the Special Response Team and serves as a Field Training Officer. A graduate of Mt. Pleasant High School, Howard holds an Intermediate Law Enforcement Certificate from the N.C. Criminal Justice Education and Training Standards Commission. He is married to Christina and is the son of Bryan and Mona Howard.