VALDOSTA — City residents may see a familiar face the next time they turn on CNN.

Former Valdosta Police Chief Brian Childress will be a commentator for the Atlanta-based broadcast company as a law-enforcement analyst. Childress retired as chief last year and now works for the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies as a compliant service member on accreditation for law-enforcement agencies.

He has been on CNN a couple of times now, most recently to provide his point of view after the mass shootings at El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio.

The reporters asked him about how police handled the scene following the shooting and about the police response time.

“I thought both response times were quite remarkable,” Childress said. “I gave my opinion. I’m not here to pass judgment on law enforcement. I won’t do that.”

No stranger to being in the public eye and being asked tough questions by the press, Childress said being on CNN felt the same as being interviewed by local news organizations when he was chief.

He said he gives the same amount of weight and attention to CNN as local news organizations.

“I didn’t see much of a difference,” he said. “You do get to see some of the behind the scenes stuff though.”

Childress said large news organizations, such as CNN, should have people on their shows who have law-enforcement experience and who can give the police point of view. He said he has his opinions of law enforcement and made sure CNN would let him share those opinions.

He said he hopes to bring a different, more experienced perspective to situations involving law enforcement.

“It’s one thing to hear from a member of the public or an elected official, but I think you need that police side,” Childress said. “You need someone who can tell you what it is like from the polices perspective, and I provide that.”

Thomas Lynn is a government and education reporter for The Valdosta Daily Times. He can be reached at (229)244-3400 ext. 1256