Maj. John Dalton, the popular commander of Atlanta Police Department Zone 6, will become a deputy chief in charge of the agency's criminal investigation division.

Maj. Keith Meadows, who joined APD in 1986 and currently assigned to major crimes, will become Zone 6 commander, Valencia Hudson, public safety liaison for Atlanta City Councilwoman Natalyn Archibong, wrote in an e-mail.

The promotions are effective Feb. 16.

Zone 6 includes Virginia-Highland, Poncey-Highland, Kirkwood, Grant Park, East Atlanta and Reynoldstown, among other neighborhoods.

Dalton, who joined APD in 1987, became a major in 2007 assigned to command the Major Crimes Section. The year before, Dalton was named assistant zone commander and assigned to Zone 5.

Meadows, whose family owns Meadows Mortuary in East Atlanta, was initially assigned to Zone 4 as a patrolman in Southwest Atlanta after graduating from the police academy. In 1996 — a year after being promoted to the rank of sergeant — he was assigned to the Homicide Unit. In 2010, he was promoted to the rank of major and assigned to the Major Crimes Section.

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