THOMAS COUNTY, GA (WTXL) — The Thomasville Police Department launched a community service officer program in 2024 to help address recruitment and retention struggles facing law enforcement agencies across Georgia.
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The program consists of police department members who are not sworn officers but respond to non-emergency calls, freeing up sworn officers to focus on emergencies.
"Being out in the neighborhoods, in the schools, in the stores, just making sure everything feels safe, looks safe, is safe," Fantasia Griffin, a community service officer with the Thomasville Police Department, said.
Since the program launched, officers handle about 40 calls a week and free up about 6 hours a day for sworn officers, helping improve response times across the community.
Emily Unglaub, Manager of Onward Reserve in Thomasville, said the regular presence of community service officers in local businesses has made a difference.
"I love how they come into each store, probably every week, one day a week, and they ask us how, you know, everything is going, and if they need help, or if they need to help us, and I love that because we feel important, and we feel very safe, and Thomasville has really, downtown, has really become more safe," Unglaub said.
Griffin said the program's work goes beyond emergency response and includes everyday interactions that build trust with residents.
"Even just unlocking their vehicles or they see us patrolling the neighborhoods that they live in. A lot of the times I think they may see us and be like, oh, what are they doing over here? But not realizing that we're just trying to make sure your neighborhood is safe," Griffin said.
Officers say building connections with the community reduces crime and increases trust. Thomasville residents in need of non-emergency assistance can call the non-emergency dispatch number at 229-226-2101.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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