Columbus law enforcement agencies grapple with staffing shortage - WTVM

COLUMBUS, Ga. (WTVM) - With a growing population and an uptick in crime, having enough uniformed officers on staff is very crucial.

The shortage of police officers has impacted coverage specifically, officers’ beats.

Mayor Henderson said there are 26 beats in the city that officers have to cover and he admits, due to the shortage, at times officers have had to split beats.

This caused the number of officers patrolling to drop below 26.

Henderson said there are shortages at the Sheriff’s Department, the Jail, and the 911 call center.

“Seems like nobody really wants to be a police officer, and across the country we’re hearing about people who are so short in law enforcement offices,” explained Henderson. “We are short staffed and they are doing everything they can and working hard. Even the detectives are working around the clock to try to solve some of these issues. The patrol officers are doing the same thing. So they’ve got a lot on them.”

When asked about the possibility of low morale among police officers, Mayor Henderson said pay could be a problem.

He said they will soon be conducting a pay study to figure out any inconsistencies and make sure the officers are getting paid what they are worth.

News Leader 9 did inquire about the specific number of police officers the city is short, but that information was not released.

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source: https://www.wtvm.com/2021/12/18/columbus-law-enforcement-agencies-grapple-with-staffing-shortage/

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