In terrorism war, police losing officers to Guard and Reserve

COLUMBUS - Police chiefs and sheriffs say their officers are the first line of defense against domestic terrorists. Problem is, many of their officers are being called up to fight terrorism elsewhere. <br> <br> Though National Guard members and reservists come from all walks of life, a large number tend to work in public safety. Since Sept. 11, more than 71,000 part-time soldiers have been called up, many of them leaving police forces already under more demands because of fears of domestic terrorism. <br> <br> Many of the hardest hit forces are near military bases, where former soldiers often join the local police force but also continue to serve in the Guard or Reserve. In Columbus, near Fort Benning, four officers have been called up and 15 more could be. In Valdosta, near Moody Air Force Base, Chief Frank Simons has lost five officers. <br> <br> ``We&#39;re counting that soldier in two places,&#39;&#39; said Simons. ``We&#39;re expecting them to protect our country. We&#39;re also expecting them to protect our citizens.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Federal officials are still issuing periodic warnings about the possibility of more attacks, and police officers play a critical role in thwarting such attacks, especially near military bases, Simons said. <br> <br> The police department in Fayetteville, N.C., near Fort Bragg, has lost four of its 300 sworn officers. The Sheriff&#39;s Department in Jacksonville, Fla., near the Mayport Naval Station, has lost 13 officers and six jailers out of a force of 2,150. The police department in Richmond, Va., about midway between the Quantico Marine Base and Fort Lee, Va., has lost six of its 650 officers. <br> <br> The story is similar in all of these places: The impact of call-ups so far has been negligible, but could become a serious problem if they lose all their Guard and Reserve members. <br> <br> ``Nobody that&#39;s involved in law enforcement wants to appear unpatriotic,&#39;&#39; said Simons, president of the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police. ``The major concern I have is that this is considered a war on terrorism. Terrorism has been brought to our shores. Police are front-line soldiers in that war.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> It&#39;s especially tough on departments that already had vacancies before Sept. 11. <br> <br> In Columbus, about a dozen firefighters and police officers have been called up and up to two dozen more could be mobilized. Even before the call-ups, the west-Georgia city was 19 police officers short of its full force of 388. <br> <br> As a temporary fix to fill vacancies, the City Council has lowered educational standards for police officers, dropping an associate&#39;s degree requirement. Newly hired officers will have to agree to get a degree within three years. <br> <br> ``It&#39;s not disrupting at this point,&#39;&#39; said City Manager Carmen Cavezza, a retired three-star Army general. ``If the war is expanded and it requires more people to support the mission - and that is likely - we have to assume there will be more activations.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Cobb County, located in suburban Atlanta near the Dobbins Air Reserve Base, has lost 17 of its 500 sworn officers, said spokeswoman Lee New. Sixty county officers could be mobilized. <br> <br> ``With the number that&#39;s been called up, it&#39;s not posing a problem,&#39;&#39; she said. ``If it came to where all 60 were called up, we might have to make some scheduling changes and pay overtime to officers who are left behind. We could still provide the coverage, even if that happened.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Guard members, reservists and others with military experience tend to gravitate to public safety agencies. They make good candidates because they already have firearms training and they are accustomed working in an environment that demands rigid discipline. <br> <br> During the Cold War, when the nation had a large standing Army, Guard and reservists were seldom separated from their families and civilian jobs. But that has changed with military downsizing and the collapse of the Soviet Union. Reserve-component deployments have increased 1,300 percent since 1989 when the Berlin Wall came down. <br> <br> Bob Boren, Albany&#39;s assistant police chief, said his officers&#39; membership in the Guard or Reserve is beneficial to his department. <br> <br> Five of Albany&#39;s 207 officers took part in the Guard&#39;s recent Bosnian peacekeeping mission and ``one or two&#39;&#39; have been mobilized since Sept. 11, Boren said. <br> <br> ``It keeps our people sharp. It gives them additional training,&#39;&#39; he said. ``Law enforcement is built on the tradition of a military organization. It goes hand in hand.&#39;&#39;