SOUTH GEORGIA (WTXL) - Lack of resources is a common complaint among law enforcement agencies around the country.
Our area is home to many small towns, and police departments here say, they have all the same problems as the bigger departments.
Some jobs are more difficult to fill than others, and finding full time police officers for small towns is one of the most challenging.
"Smaller towns, they can't quite offer as much hourly wages as the larger towns can. With the city of Colquitt, we are blessed here because we have very good insurance and benefits that really make a difference," said Chief Hollis Smith of the Colquitt Police Department. "The city, because they can't pay quite so much on the hourly rate, they give it to us in the benefits."
The smaller towns not only have fewer officers, but the police departments rely heavily on local sponsorships and taxes to get the equipment they need.
"The water and garbage that comes through the city, plus what little citations we write, that's basically how this city maintains itself," said Chief Aubrey Suggs with the Newton Police Department. "In a small community where your tax base is not high, it's hard to get the equipment you need, but most times, our city works to get us the major things we need."
It's the smaller communities that Police Chiefs Smith and Suggs really value about their jobs.
"You get to know your citizens sometimes on a one-on-one basis. You talk with them, you find out what the situation is going on, what problems they have," said Suggs. "People sit down and talk with you and say 'we need you to patrol this street or area more."
Although Colquitt and Newton's Police Departments are small, they still do everything that a larger department would.
"We're really no different than the larger towns. We're just on a smaller scale. We have the same crimes," said Smith. "We work traffic the same way."
Both police departments also work very closely with their county's sheriff offices.
