PUBLIC SAFETY

The Albany Police Department (APD) continues to struggle with recruitment and retention of police officers, even though the salaries paid to those officers has increased significantly during Bo’s term in office. The commission retained a consultant to make recommendations as to how the city might attract more applicants and reduce the percentage of officers leaving APD after relatively brief tenures. 122 Law enforcement, like other professions, is being rapidly transformed by technology.

Staffing

APD, which is budgeted for 209 sworn officers, had 165 sworn officers on December 31, 2015. 97 of those officers have retired or otherwise left the department. The city has hired 239 officers, most of whom were new recruits, since January 1, 2016. 123 47 did not complete the Academy training. Of the 192 other officers, 71 are still with the department. The police chief, speaking to citizens at a local church, reported the staffing deficit became more pronounced in 2020 and 2021, “with officers retiring while there was not the usual pipeline to replace them”. 124 A member of the Civilian Advisory Board appeared before the commission in November 2021, to express concerns that many officers had left the department due to being overworked. He stated, “The shorter you are on staff, the more calls you have to go to. It’s a lot of stress.” 125

This observation was validated by a report generated by BerryDunn, the firm retained by the commission to evaluate the department. A representative explained that “as overworked officers leave to take other jobs, the remaining officers’ workload is increased, leading to a self-perpetuating ‘cycle’”. 126 The consultant recommended that the city consider “a housing program that could anchor officers in the [community], flexible schedules and pay bonuses for officers who remain in the force over time”. Utilizing the community service officer program as a pipeline to a career in law enforcement was another recommendation. 127

Salaries

Officers from the rank of major and below received a 6% pay increase, effective July 1, 2020. 128 Police officers, with all other employees, received a 2.5% raise the following year, 129 and, with firefighters and linemen, received an additional 2% raise a few months later. 130 All employees received a 4.5% raise, effective July 1, 2022. 131 Police officers, with all other employees working in departments that were 20% or more below staffing levels, received a one-step increase, a few months later. 132 The commission, on January 24, 2023, increased salaries for all patrol officers by 5%, commencing February 1, 2023. 133

APD’s staffing shortage was one of the primary issues addressed at the commission’s retreat in March 2023. A majority of the commission committed to a starting salary of at least $50,000. Police officers received a 13.5% raise, with a starting salary of $50,001, effective July 1, 2023. 134

Technology

The police chief has emphasized, in presentations requesting funding for technological innovations, that “using technology is a force-multiplier”. 135 A spokesperson explained these devices “are built to ensure that [law enforcement] captur[es] objective evidence, the evidence that is needed to solve crimes”. 136 Citizens are familiar with the license plate recognition system, commonly known as school zone speed cameras. The commission voted to install cameras at four local schools in the spring of 2021. APD, as required by state law, issued warnings for 30 days. 137

The camera is activated when a vehicle is moving at more than 10 miles per hour over the posted speed limit, 138 which is 25 miles per hour for one hour prior to the beginning of school and for one hour after the school day concludes. 139 RedSpeed, which manages the system, issues a citation to the individual registered as the owner of the vehicle. 140 The fine for the first offense is $75 and the fine for subsequent citations is $125. No points are accessed on the driving history of the owner of the vehicle. 141 The extent of the problem of speeding in school zones was confirmed when over 12,000 citations were issued in the first three months following the 30-day grace period. 142

Approximately $3.7 million in fines had been collected at the conclusion of the 22/23 school year. 143 Fines generated from operation of school zone speed cameras must be used for law enforcement purposes. Purchases funded with proceeds from the fines include $198,000 to replace Tasers and $574,163 to install flashing lights and signage in school zones. The fines have also financed other technological advances, including the purchase and installation of surveillance cameras and implementation of a real-time crime center. 144

The school zone cameras are also effective tools for law enforcement. The cameras identify stolen vehicles and vehicles connected to a wanted suspect. 145 The cameras are connected to the computers in patrol cars, so that officers receive an immediate alert when a stolen vehicle or other vehicle of interest is photographed. The commission purchased Raven gunshot technology, which is “an outdoor audio detection device that recognizes gunshots and consolidates evidence with Falcon ALPR data … When a gunshot is detected, the ALPR devices in the area are automatically turned on to capture additional visual evidence of the scene, making it significantly more likely that investigative evidence will be useful to detectives after a crime has occurred.” 146 The gunshot detection systems have been installed in three areas where most instances of gun violence were reported. 147

The city recently purchased 54 Flock surveillance cameras and an additional 53 license plate readers. The pan-tilted cameras have been installed throughout the city, including along the major corridors and in the downtown. 148 The city has also contracted with a company, which provides a system through which businesses and residents can integrate their surveillance systems with the real-time crime center. 149

Engagement with the Community

The police chief regularly speaks at churches 150 and to civic groups. 151 APD sponsors community meetings to educate citizens and to afford them an opportunity to express concerns they may have about the department. 152 Officers volunteer as counselors with the Albany-Dougherty Youth Unit summer program, which sponsors camp activities, including sessions on issues like gangs, drugs, personal hygiene, financial literacy, and nutrition. 153 Officers, aware of the high percentage of residents living at or below the poverty level, were instrumental in implementing the Car Care Program. Motorists pulled over for defective lights on their vehicle are presented with a voucher, “good for a discount at several area auto parts stores, instead of [ ] a ticket that could result in a fine”. 154

New Challenges

The former U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia and the district attorney both stated a small number of individuals are committing most of the violent crimes in the community. Many of these crimes, including drive-by shootings, are perpetrated in furtherance of feuds between rival gangs. 155 Many vehicle break-ins are motivated by thieves seeking firearms. 112 firearms were reported stolen, from automobiles, in the first 11 months of 2021. APD has encouraged citizens to secure their weapons in their homes, rather than leaving them in their vehicles. 156

Citizens regularly report motorcycle and dirt bike riders driving recklessly on city streets. 157 Youngsters racing on city streets continues to be a problem, and there have been fatalities associated with racing in the city. 158 Collaboration with State and Federal Authorities APD, in concert with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, arrested eight subjects on charges of child sex trafficking and violations of the gang statute. Gang members transported the juvenile to various locations, over a two-month period in 2019. The female “was advertised for sexual interaction in exchange for money. 159 APD works with the Office of the U.S. Attorney, through the Project Safe Neighborhoods Initiative, to “remov[e] some of the most violent offenders from the community”. The U.S. Attorney’s office prosecutes cases involving guns and drugs, repeat weapons offenders, and extreme violence in federal district court, “where convictions bring harsher sentences”. 160