Grady K. Dukes is a staff attorney here at the SSPBA. Grady graduated from Seminole County High School, Middle Georgia College (A.S. in Criminal Justice), and Valdosta State College (B.S. in Criminal Justice). As part of his college internship, Grady served as an auxiliary deputy with the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Department. In February 1977, Grady began working with the Valdosta Police Department in the Uniform Division. In September 1977, Grady was shot and wounded during an attempted armed robbery of motel; Dukes was able to return fire and fatally wounded his attacker.
Grady subsequently served with the Valdosta P.D. in the detective division, as a canine handler, and as a polygraph examiner.

In May 1984, the Valdosta Police Officer’s Association joined the P.B.A. with Grady serving as its chapter secretary. This was the first chapter of what would become the Southern States P.B.A. At the state level of the P.B.A. of Georgia, Grady served as vice president, senior vice president, and finally president. In 1987, Grady moved to Conyers and worked full time with the P.B.A. for about a year. An opening for a criminal investigator occurred in the Juvenile Court of Rockdale County and Grady returned to law enforcement. It was while employed here that Grady made a decision ----- some said Grady “turned to the dark side” – and he began to also attend law school. After becoming a lawyer, Grady stayed in private practice for about 2 years before accepting a full time position as a staff attorney with the SSPBA in November 1994.

Grady advises that having “been there, done a lot of that” is one reason he has stayed with the SSPBA to assists its members. Also, “once you become a real cop, it does get in your blood.”

Grady is married to Roxanne, and they have three children, Cory, Natalee, and GraceAnne.