Hall County Sheriff Gerald Couch threw his full support behind Governor Nathan Deal’s announcement of a salary increase for state law enforcement officers despite some controversy.
Couch hosted a Q&A session with representatives from the Georgia State Patrol, Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Tuesday morning at the Hall County Sheriff’s Office to address the concerns he’s heard from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and other Atlanta news stations.
“Some of the detractors from this 20 percent pay increase for state officers are afraid that they will lure some local officers to the state level,” Couch said. “You know what, OK, I’m good with that. We need to have better qualified people and sometimes competition like that, it benefits us all.
“The ultimate goal is to protect and to serve, so if we have the best folks around, I don’t know how you could argue with that.”
The last time state law enforcement employees received a pay raise was in 2008. Couch hopes that this pay increase will help with recruitment as he referenced a 2007 article in the Statesboro Herald stating that the Georgia State Patrol was having problems with recruitment because of pay and benefits.
“This raise is much needed,” Couch said. “All this improvement will hopefully attract and retain better qualified candidates that help us all - and it’s not just on the state level.
“These police officers live and work in our communities and, like I said, I don’t know what we would do without them. We would do a poorer job, I believe.”
During the meeting, Couch went down the line and thanked Georgia State Patrol Commander Sgt. Anthony Coleman (Post 6), Georgia DNR Sergeant Mike Burgamy (Gainesville Office), GBI Special Agent in Charge Kim Williams and Assistant Special Agent in Charge Mike Walsingham (Region 8 Office) for their support and partnerships with the Hall County Sheriff’s Office.
No local law enforcement officers have voiced complaints over the state officer pay raise, but Couch said he still found it important to hold this meeting to address what he deemed as inappropriate comments made by a few Atlanta-based media outlets.
“You know, when you have a man or a woman that takes an oath of office to defend our way of life, our society and they’re willing to give up their lives and all this job entails” Couch said. “They ought to be held high, with respect and, you know what, they have to live too.
“They need to make a living where they don’t have to work so many extra jobs and those things. It’s good to see this move, and it benefits all of us.”
Couch is opposed to the idea of the state influencing the pay rates of city and county law enforcement officers. He said he is pleased with his relationship with the Hall County Commission. The Hall County Sheriff’s Office saw the largest pay raise they’ve ever seen last year, according to Couch, with the average officer earning $3,500 more per year, $2,500 more for lieutenants; he said they have another pay raise coming this year.
With the release of his letter Tuesday, Couch pushes back against a request from the Georgia Sheriff's Association to every Georgia sheriff, asking that they consider the pay raise's “negative impact on the safety of our citizens.” Couch joins other sheriffs, such as Mitch Ralston of Gordon County, who are publicly supporting Gov. Deal's plan.
Read the content of Sheriff's Couch's letter below:
My fellow citizens of Hall County,
In recent weeks, I have watched and listened as Governor Nathan Deal announced a substantial salary increase for state law enforcement officers as part of his ongoing effort to transform and improve our criminal justice system. In some quarters this announcement was met with high approval; in others, it has been viewed with skepticism and some concern that making state jobs more attractive will pull candidates and employees away from county or municipal law enforcement agencies.
As your elected Sheriff, I am charged with overseeing operation of the county jail, protecting the county courthouse, administering civil process, and the service of warrants, among myriad other duties- not the least of which is providing law enforcement services to the unincorporated areas of Hall County. To accomplish all of this, I have over 450 personnel on staff, all of whom are employees of the Hall County Government. I mention this because some of those who have voiced disapproval in the Governor’s plan have gone as far as suggesting that the state should become involved in the salary matters of local government employees.
First and foremost, I want to publicly express my support of Governor Deal’s initiative. Pay increases for our state law enforcement officers are long overdue. For years, they have lagged behind national averages and as a result, have faced difficulty in attracting quality candidates and keeping their ranks filled, which in turn reduces the amount of support they can provide to local agencies. While some might argue that this is the state’s problem, the reality is that our local law enforcement agencies and the citizens they serve also suffer the effects. Here are just a few examples of the support we receive:
- The Georgia State Patrol and the Hall County Sheriff’s Office have an outstanding working relationship. Many, if not most of the motor vehicle crashes in the county are handled by State Troopers. If a Trooper doesn’t work a crash, then a County Deputy must do it, which means that Deputy is not available to answer 911 calls.
- The Georgia Department of Natural Resources works in partnership with the Sheriff’s Office to patrol Lake Lanier’s 38,000 acres, about 60% of which lies within Hall County. This involves everything from watercraft accident investigations and BUI enforcement to the recovery of drowning victims.
- The Georgia Bureau of Investigation provides support to the Sheriff’s Office in the form of crime lab services, assisting with crime scene processing in complex cases, tactical support from their explosive ordinance disposal unit, and when necessary, they serve as an independent investigative agency in certain internal investigations.
These state agencies, among others, all have a long history of supporting us at a moment’s notice with an abundance of resources, enabling us to do our jobs better, more efficiently, and ultimately deliver better services to the citizens of Hall County.
Secondly, I believe that control of our county government lies solely with our local elected and appointed officials, and I am opposed to the idea of the state influencing the pay rates of city and county law enforcement officers. The Hall County Board of Commissioners has supported the Sheriff’s Office, and we have worked together very diligently to realize a successful recovery from austere times. This has provided pay increases for our employees to not only reward them for their hard work and dedication, but to make our agency competitive with surrounding jurisdictions in the quest for quality law enforcement candidates. While we are grateful for the support of the state, our internal successes are the result of relationships that are built and fostered locally, among men and women who live and work here in Hall County, not at the State Capitol.
In closing, Governor Deal’s efforts are a positive step toward making law enforcement in Georgia what it is supposed to be: the best in the nation. His actions will serve to raise the level of professionalism and training among our ranks, and that will benefit all of the citizens of Georgia. The Governor and I both recognize that as our society moves forward, interagency cooperation and teamwork are essential. As I’ve stated before, no matter the shape of the badge or the color of the uniform, those of us in public safety are all on the same team, working toward a common goal. I look forward to continued collaboration between the Hall County Sheriff’s Office and the many state agencies that we work with as we strive to deliver the best services possible to our citizens.
Sincerely Sheriff Gerald Couch
