SALISBURY — Salisbury Police Department (SPD) Lieutenants Corey Brooks and T. Justin Crews have been promoted to captain, in a move that will go into effect on Monday, Dec. 11.

“It is my honor to promote two deserving officers within our department to the position of captain,” Police Chief Patrick “PJ” Smith said. “Promotional assessment periods allow us to examine leadership skills, job knowledge and their track record of working with the community to problem solve. Both Brooks and Crews demonstrate those qualities and then some. With a combined 50 years of law enforcement experience, both will serve Salisbury well.”

Brooks has more than 25 years of experience in law enforcement, beginning his career with the East Spencer Police Department. He was hired by the SPD in 2001 as a patrol officer and continued to rise through the ranks. His previous responsibilities included supervision of the patrol division, training, recruitment and criminal investigations violent crimes unit. He most recently served as a lieutenant in Special Investigations/Criminal Investigations/Rowan Regional Crime Information Center.

In addition to his standard duties as an officer, Brooks is the commander of the SPD Honor Guard, a Verbal Judo (effective verbal communication) instructor, a member of the 2020 N.C. Homicide Investigator Association and a graduate of the N.C. Crisis Intervention Team program training.

Brooks received several accolades throughout his tenure, including the City of Salisbury Keys to Excellence Bronze Award, Salisbury Police Veteran Officer of the Year, the 2016 Blue Line Brother Hood Award and the Lions Club Salisbury Police Veteran of the Year award. Most recently, he received the Salisbury Police Foundation Excellence in the Community award and the Salisbury Police Meritorious Act of Bravery Award for his heroic rescue of an unconscious truck driver whose tractor-trailer was on fire.

A Sumter, S.C. native, Brooks holds a criminal justice degree from Livingstone College and an Advanced Law Enforcement Certificate from the N.C. Department of Justice. Brooks is a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.

Crews, a Salisbury native, has nearly 26 years of law enforcement experience. Before his career with SPD, he was a part-time deputy with the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office in various roles. Upon joining SPD, he was assigned to the K-9 squad, where he remained for nine years. Crews also served in a supervisory role in the narcotics and recruitment divisions.

In April 2019, he was promoted to lieutenant, and assigned as the Charlie and David patrol teams supervisor. He has been an integral member of the department’s Special Response Team (SRT) and has served as the agency’s public information officer since 2020.

Crews holds an associate’s degree in criminal justice from Stanly Community College and a bachelor’s degree from Charleston West Virginia University. He also earned a general, intermediate and advanced certificate from the North Carolina Justice Education and Training division.