On Monday, October 17, Sheriff David Davis, Mayor Lester Miller, and Fire Chief Shane Edwards announced a new effort to increase the number of deputies on patrol throughout the county. To watch the announcement in its entirety, click here.
“My staff and I attended the forums held last year that led to the Macon Violence Prevention plan, and while we heard about long-term needs to reduce crime, we also heard at every one of them residents asking simply to see deputies patrolling their streets…to see us out in the community at night,” said Sheriff Davis.
“In every MVP forum we held, we heard residents in those neighborhoods ask for more of a presence at night. That they wanted deputies to ride through routinely,” said Mayor Miller. “To help with that, we’ve spent millions to raise starting pay to attract new deputies, give raises and implement an annual incentive pay program to keep our experienced deputies, and buy the best equipment to help protect them and help them respond more effectively.”
During the past 18 months, the Sheriff has fast-tracked the hiring of part-time deputies into the Corrections Division to see if this type of hiring was feasible. About 150 full time and part time deputies were hired in that time, which allowed some deputies to be moved to patrol.
That fast-track hiring process is now being expanded to the patrol division, and the Sheriff’s Office is looking for POST-certified and experienced deputies to part-time positions. These can be any retiree or current law enforcement officers from any agency. The job opening should be posted soon here.
“This means we can increase the number of deputies on patrol without taking officers away from other jurisdictions,” adds Sheriff Davis. “This means we can increase the number of deputies on patrol more quickly because we’re not waiting on training and certification.”
To help with hiring of new deputies and retaining the experience already in the Sheriff’s Office, Mayor Miller pointed to the funding provided for salaries and equipment, as well as the legal action taken to address hotspots.
“We’ve spent millions to raise starting pay to attract new deputies, give raises and implement an annual incentive pay program to keep our experienced deputies, and buy the best equipment to help protect them and help them respond more effectively,” says Mayor Miller. “We’ve filed suit against businesses that fostered criminal activity and have seen immediate and significant reductions in criminal activity in the entire area around those spots.”
In addition to hiring more deputies for patrol, the Fire Department is reviving an old program by which firefighters help serve in public safety roles that don’t require a certified deputy. This could include working specific roles in the courthouse to helping staff large events around town. Firefighters would be providing these services on their off days and would be paid overtime.
“Our crews are dedicated to the safety of this community at every level, not just protecting them from fires. We respond to medical calls, car accidents, and so much more,” said Chief Edwards, who pointed out he worked as a Court Bailiff for 10 years while a firefighter. “This will allow our deputies to return to the neighborhoods when they need to be.”
“We’ve talked with residents of the neighborhoods, victims of violent crimes, clergy members, service provides, law enforcement experts, and more…and all have said reducing crime is going to take time and take us addressing it from many angles,” said Mayor Miller. “And one of those is having deputies out in the community.”
“Our goal throughout the past few months has been to get more deputies on patrol so we can respond more quickly, so we can have a stronger, more visible presence in the neighborhoods…all things residents have asked us for,” said Sheriff Davis.