Command Staff

Chief Williams began his law enforcement career in 2001, at the Hendersonville Police Department, where he was employed until 2003. He served as a Sheriff's Deputy, in the Patrol Division, of the Sumner County Sheriff's Office from 2003 until joining the Portland Police Department in June of 2004. He held the ranks of Patrol Officer, Field Training Officer, Corporal, Sergeant, and Communications Supervisor within the Patrol Division, before moving to the Criminal Investigations Division in 2011, as a Detective. He was the department's D.A.R.E. Officer from 2005 through 2010. He has extensive training in the areas of interview and interrogation, law enforcement leadership, crime scene investigations, and is a Certified Advanced Examiner for Computer Voice Stress Analysis (CVSA).

While working in the Criminal Investigations Division, he was a member of the Sumner County Child Protective Investigative Team, and primarily investigated child abuse and child sexual abuse cases, as well as managing the reporting requirements of sexual offenders, within the city limits, for the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation's Sexual Offender Registry. He held the ranks of Detective, Detective Sergeant, and Lieutenant, before being appointed Chief of Police in January of 2020.

Chief Williams is a 1997 graduate of Portland High School, a 2015 graduate of Bethel University, a graduate of Session VII of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation State Academy and has completed the Chief Executive Leadership Development Program sponsored by the Tennessee Association of Chiefs of Police. He serves as on the Operations Committee of the Sumner County Emergency Communications Center, on the Board of Directors for the 18th Judicial District Drug Task Force, and on the Legislative, Small and Rural Law Enforcement, and Leadership and Member Development Committees for the Tennessee Association of Chiefs of Police. He has been commended multiple times for work with PPD and the Sumner County Child Advocacy Center.

Lieutenant Ellis began his law enforcement career in 2004 with the Watertown Police Department, before joining the Portland Police Department in 2005. He has held the ranks of Patrol Officer, Field Training Officer, Corporal, and Sergeant, before being promoted to Lieutenant in 2017. He supervises and oversees the Administrative Division, which includes building/fleet maintenance, training, and quartermaster duties. He also serves as the agency's Firearms and Tactics Instructor. He is a Senior Operator with the Sumner County Emergency Response Team (ERT), which is a county-wide special weapons and tactics (SWAT) unit. He serves as an Adjunct Instructor at the Tennessee Law Enforcement Training Academy on the subjects of Firearms and Basic SWAT.

Lieutenant Ellis has attended and earned certification in many specialized schools throughout his career including: Instructor development, Firearms Instructor, Officer Survival, Defensive Tactics, Basic and Advanced SWAT, Weapons of Mass Destruction Advanced Tactical Planning and Operator, AR-15 Basic and Advanced Operator Course.

Lieutenant Ellis is a 1999 graduate of White House High School, and a 2014 graduate of Trevecca Nazarene University. He has been commended multiple times for work with PPD and ERT.

Lieutenant Toby Sabie began his law enforcement career in 1995, at the Springfield Police Department, where he was employed until 1999. He served with White House Police Department and the Ridgetop Police Department until 2003 at which time he joined the Portland Police Department. He has been with the Portland Police Department since August 2003 and has held the ranks of Patrol Officer, Field Training Officer, Field Training Coordinator, Corporal, and Sergeant.

Lieutenant Sabie supervises and oversees the Patrol Division. He has received specialized training in numerous areas including: Defensive Tactics Instructor, Domestic Violence Instructor, Firearms, and Law Enforcement Management.

Lieutenant Sabie graduated Cheatham County Central High School in 1987 and is 14 classes away from graduating from Bethel University. He is a police trainer and instructor and has trained many Portland Officers. Lieutenant Sabie has been commended many times for past duty related performances.

Jason Arnold is a Lieutenant Detective with the Portland Police Department, assigned part time with the 18th Judicial District Drug Task Force and part time as a Special Federal Officer with the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) Violent Crime Gang Task Force.

Lieutenant Arnold has worked in the field of Law Enforcement since 2004, having started as a Patrol Officer. He joined the Portland Police Department in 2005 where he was assigned as an Officer with the Patrol Division for 8 years. He was then assigned to the 18th Judicial District Drug Task Force (JDDTF) through the Portland Police Department in 2013 where he served as an Investigator for 5 years. Lieutenant Arnold was then assigned to the FBI's Violent Crimes Gang Task Force in 2018 and, during the same year, he was promoted to Detective with the Portland Police Department.

In 2020, Lieutenant Arnold was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Detective and currently supervises the Criminal Investigation Division (CID), which includes the Detective Unit, FLEX Unit, and Portland Officers who are assigned to the 18th Judicial District Drug Task Force. Lieutenant Detective Arnold has been commended multiple times for his work on large scale State and Federal cases.

Lieutenant Arthur began his law enforcement career in 2009, with the Waynesboro Police Department, after putting himself through the Walter State University Police Academy. He was employed there until 2011, when he joined the Portland Police Department. He held the positions of Patrol Officer, Field Training Officer, and Sergeant before being promoted to Lieutenant in 2022. Lieutenant Arthur was a member of the Sumner County Emergency Response Team (ERT) for 7 years, which is a county-wide special weapons and tactics (SWAT) unit, as an entry team member, sniper, and senior operator. He supervises and oversees the Community Affairs Division, which includes Property Standards, Animal Control, Records, and public relations.

Lieutenant Arthur has attended and earned certifications in many specialized schools during his career and he is a firearms and TASER instructor. Arthur has had specialized training in the following: Field Training Officer (FTO), Incident Response to Terrorist Bombings Performance Level Training Course, Instructor Development, Defensive Tactics, Emergency Vehicle Operations (EVOC), law enforcement leadership/management, Basic Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT), Basic and Advanced SWAT Sniper courses.

Lieutenant Arthur is a 2006 graduate of Highland Academy. He attended Volunteer State Community College and Southern Adventist University, majoring in Nursing, before changing career paths to law enforcement.