Council turns deaf ear to law enforcement needs — By Tommy Purser

Attempts to hire law enforcement officers across the nation have become disturbingly competitive. As a result, police force positions have become increasingly difficult to fill.

The City of Hazlehurst Police Department is no exception. And Police Chief Ken Williams’ inability to get the City Council to get on board with the belief that the safety of citizens of Hazlehurst is paramount among the responsibilities of members of the Hazlehurst City Council. has him frustrated.

South Georgia Police Departments have found themselves in a highly competitive race to fill vacancies in their departments.

The Hazlehurst City Council budgeted to employ eight patrol officers. It appears they think that’s all they’re supposed to do: budget the necessary money and then throw the problem in Chief Williams’ lap.

What a head-in-the-sand  attitude.

Across the state — the nation, really — municipal governments have realized the competitive nature of hiring police officers. And they’ve responded appropriately.

But not in Hazlehurst.

So competitive is the situation that city leaders across the nation have adopted incentives to entice trained, experienced law enforcement officers to come on board. Not the least of those enticements is offering a signing bonus.

In this area of Georgia, cities are offering $2,000 to $3,000 signing bonuses. In the Atlanta area, bonuses are generally $5,000 to $6,000.

In Hazlehurst, signing bonuses are much lower —— $0,000.

The City of Hazlehurst Police Department’s force is down to the Chief, an administrative captain, one investigator, three School Resource Officers (SROs), and four patrolmen.

The Chief and the Administrative Captain have been taking shifts as patrolmen to help the four patrolmen by giving them time off to be with their families …. time they don’t currently have.

Many times, the citizens of Hazlehurst find themselves in the dangerous situation of having only one patrolman on duty. So, in those situations, when there are two calls for service at the same time, someone can’t be served.

And Chief Williams and City Council liason to the Police Department John Bloodworth can’t get the City Council to seriously talk about the situation.

I’ve talked with Bloodworth and Chief Williams and they are both at their wits ends.

We, as citizens of Hazlehurst, desperately need to elect a mayor and council that recognize the importance of the safety of our citizens.  That, I fear, is not important to our current mayor and council. They seem to be more consumed with a million dollar State Patrol Post and a $400,000 splash pad.