Georgia police: better pay, more training will improve practices

Creation of the Senate Law Enforcement Reform Study Committee was introduced by state Sen. Bill Cowsert, an Athens Republican, who referred to it as part of a package of legislation passed this year with the state’s new hate-crimes law.

As part of a compromise to pass the hate-crimes legislation, which enhances the penalty of someone convicted of a crime that targets a specific group, lawmakers also passed a bill that gives additional protections to first responders who are harmed in the line of duty.

Cowsert said one of his concerns is how low morale is affecting law enforcement.

The hearing was held a day after the Kentucky attorney general’s office announced that one of the three police officers involved in the death of Breonna Taylor in Louisville would be charged with wanton endangerment for shooting into three nearby apartments when executing a no-knock warrant on her home. Officers shot and killed Taylor while she slept.

After the announcement, protests broke out across the country, including in Atlanta, where crowds gathered at the Capitol on Wednesday and police used gas to disperse them as the hour grew late.

“(Retention) is one of my concerns,” Cowsert said. “They’re not adequately paid. Some don’t think they’re adequately trained. Some don’t think they get fair due process rights if they’re ever accused of any wrongdoing. And others feel like they’re treated so disrespectfully by the public that, you know, why do it?”

State Sen. John Albers, a Roswell Republican who serves as chairman of the Senate Public Safety Committee, said he supports Georgians’ right to protest, but he takes issue when it turns to violence. Albers said the vitriol that some have directed at law enforcement is a “Vietnam moment” for police — referring to soldiers who returned from fighting overseas to protests against the war.

“Thankfully, later on people started putting ribbons on trees ... and doing the right thing for those who are out there serving and protecting us worldwide," Albers said. "I’d like to see that happen right now and have that moment for law enforcement the exact same way.”

Cowsert said the purpose of the study committee was to “take a look at our law enforcement community and its relationship with our citizens.”

Police also said that the best way for Georgians to avoid instances where an officer’s use of force is called into question is to comply with their orders.

“Almost every use of force (incident) begins with some level of an individual being noncompliant. From there the situation only escalates,” Georgia Department of Public Safety Deputy Commissioner Chris Wright said. “Even if the officer is wrong, citizens should comply and utilize proper court proceedings to voice their concerns and state their case. Not on the side of the road. Not in the darkness of night.”

Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council Director Mike Ayers, whose office is tasked with disciplining officers, said the agency investigates between 1,100 and 1,600 cases of misconduct each year. Types of misconduct can range from an officer getting a DUI to fatally shooting someone.

Several speakers mentioned that Georgia had the second-lowest number of mandatory training hours for police officers — 408. Ayers said individual agencies may require additional training, but it is not mandatory to become a police officer in Georgia.

“It takes 3 1/2 times more training time in Georgia to cut and style a person’s hair than to arrest the same person and accuse them of a crime that can result in serious, long-term incarceration,” he said. “I don’t say that to say that our training is not good, because it is very good. But there are topics that we certainly are currently not able to address in that timeline.”

Ayers said he thinks it would benefit officers to expand the state’s basic training program from 11 to 17 weeks.

State Sen. Harold Jones, an Augusta Democrat, said it was concerning to learn Georgia required the second-lowest number of training hours for law enforcement officers in the nation.

“I think all Georgians should be concerned that we’re 49th in the nation as far as our training hours,” he said. “So although we have dedicated officers, we certainly should not be at the bottom.”

Cowsert said the group will meet a few more times before the end of the year, studying issues ranging from the use of no-knock warrants to use of force.