DOUGLASVILLE, Ga. — Many metro Atlanta communities don't have enough law enforcement officers and are planning on holding hiring events through the summer as agencies deal with ongoing staffing shortages and difficulties finding qualified candidates.
They said pandemic staffing losses, low pay, and the danger of the job are some of the reasons for the crisis.
Imagine having to work 78 hours a week.
That's what the Douglas County Sheriff's Office said many of its deputies are doing because of a severe staffing shortage. The deputies should work 84 hours each pay period, but that's not usually what happens.
“I've seen people pull 72 hours of overtime in a pay period," Douglas County Sheriff's Office Lt. Col. Tavarreus Pounds said.
The department should have about 350 sworn deputies, but they're almost 60 short.
“We've got vacancies everywhere and everyone is pulling their share, but they do get burned out from time to time, so we're trying to relieve that," Pounds said.
Deputies being stretched so thin is causing problems throughout the county.
“Right now we're having to pull people off the road," Pounds said.
Fewer eyes are on Douglas County's streets to proactively react to and reduce crimes.
“We just can't be at every place at all times," Pounds said. "We would love to have a full shift of 15 or 20 people on the patrol shift so that we can be in more places and so we can reduce the crimes that's happening in the county.”
Another consequence of the deputy shortage affects the county jail.
“When you don't have enough people to cover a shift in the jails, we have to lock the jail down," Pounds said.
The jail has cut down visitation hours, so families aren't able to see inmates as much.
“The inmates won't get to be out like they want to be out, but it's a safety has to have that many inmates roaming around and we don't have enough people to watch them," Pounds said.
Douglas County isn't alone.
The Atlanta Police Department is trying to hire 250 officers this year. They're holding a hiring event at Lenox Mall on July 23 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
City of South Fulton Police Chief Keith Meadows said a study showed its department should eventually have 300 to 350 officers, but they currently have 178 officers.
“We need good quality people, good quality candidates to come out so that we can place them in those positions so that we won't lose people because we are burning them out and working them too much," Pounds said.
The hiring event at the Douglas County Sheriff's Office takes place Saturday, July 9, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 8470 Earl D. Lee Boulevard in Douglasville.