The Dodge County Sheriff’s Office has received $4,750.00 from three sources designated for the purchase of bullet resistant vests for deputies.
Last week the sheriff’s office received notice that a matching grant from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) has been awarded to the Dodge County Sheriff’s Office, in this year’s Federal Fiscal Budget, in order to purchase bullet proof vests. The Justice Department announced that up to $2,450.00 is available to the Dodge County Sheriff’s Office to purchase ballistic vests. The federal grant is a 50/50 matching grant requiring local governments to expend the same amount of money on the purchase.
Dodge County Sheriff Jeff Hinson stated that two donations have been received by the Dodge County Sheriff’s Office totaling $2,300.00 in order to meet the sheriff’s office obligation of matching funds. The remaining $150.00 is expected to come from the Sheriff’s Equipment Fund.
Last week the Eastman Pilot Club, on October 18, donated $1,500.00 to the sheriff’s office for the purchase of safety equipment for officers. The Pilot Club has been conducting a fund raising campaign to raise money for local law enforcement to purchase personal protective equipment. Sheriff Hinson went on to say that a local businessman, who wished to remain anonymous to the public, donated $800.00 earlier this year to purchase bullet resistant vests.
Sheriff Hinson commented that the grant and donations are a “God Send”, which protects the deputies, saves the sheriff’s office’s local budget, and saves local taxpayer dollars.
Captain Tony Winborn, the grant coordinator of the sheriff’s office, stated that the grant money is appropriated yearly to the Justice Department by Congress. Captain Winborn stated that this is federal money that is coming to Dodge County rather than going to some other part of the country. The grant and donation will allow the sheriff’s office to purchase at least six vests for deputies.
Sheriff Hinson stated that the vests are needed for deputies who are frequently in danger of assault. The Dodge County Sheriff’s Office, by policy, requires that all deputies actively engaged in patrol and field operations are required to wear the bullet resistant vests.
According to the Officer Down Memorial Page (www.odmp.org), there have been one hundred thirty six (136) officers killed in the line of duty in 2011 thus far, including fifty one (51) by gunfire. That is a sixteen (16%) increase from 2010. There have been seven (7) officers killed in Georgia in 2011 including four (4) by gunfire. The 2011 Georgia officers killed include five (5) deputy sheriff’s, a county police officer, and a state probation officer.
Maybe they should have paid for a gym membership for our officers,I love to see a man in uniform but our officers weight takes that good look appearance in uniform away.
Well,welcome to Maybery where aunt Bea feeds the officers too much apple pie.LOL
How hard would it be to require them to get into physical shape and start looking more like professionals than Porky Pig???
If you would like to do their jobs, whether physically fit or not, why don't you go try it and see just what kind of stress they or firefighter's deal with on a daily basis. Yes, it would be nice if they were in better shape. However, just look at the population of Eastman and see that they are no different than anyone else.
The general population may be over-weight and/or out-of-shape. That fact is not important to PUBLIC safety. The jobs these officers/firemen do IS for the public safety and well-being.
Oh,I was just informed that they went to Forsyth several years ago and ran the 7 miles on a daily basis when they were slim and trim and that they only let the slim and trim ones run 7 miles a day in every few weeks but the overweight ones can get their 7 miles in as long as they run a mile a year for 7 yrs.(we don't want to stress our deputies out now,do we)? I called an overweight deputy over to my car to ask for directions and it took him 7hrs to walk across the street all he could do was put it in his log book that it took him 7hrs to walk over to my car from across the street that shift. I am thankful it was no emergency for me. I was also just informed by a medical doctor that belly fat and heart disease and bad backs goes hand in hand with each other. If I stop a deputy and talk to him,I will ask him to share his pork chops,ice cream and donuts with me. I am unable to post my garbage on this website because I donot keep it in my house but what I do keep is a good sense of humour from time to time so I can relieve stress and none of the high calorie foods the overweight deputies of Dodge County eats so I am not prone to have a heart attack. Oh me o my, sheriff Andy Griffith looked good in his uniform and so did Barney Fife.
I have first-hand knowledge of the training that ALL officers go through to be certified. Maybe you should enlighten us all, though, as to the nature of the ~ "training every few weeks that does include physical tactics." ~ I have never heard of it happening here.
No matter how many people protest the fact, SOME of the officers LOOK un-healthy and OVER-weight. And it is STILL my opinion that regular work-outs should be a given. Check it out; larger county/city officers are required to meet a certain physical standard in order to remain an officer in good standing.