FLOWERY BRANCH — The Flowery Branch City Council voted unanimously to approve the addition of an officer position for the city police department at its meeting Thursday night.
The motion was made after a plea from Flowery Branch Police Chief David Spillers, who said that an injury to one of the department's patrol officers and two recent officer departures have stretched patrols thin. Spillers said those depleted numbers combined with growth in the area and trends of increasing violence towards police presents a challenge to the department.
"If you have one wreck out here on 985, that's all our officers that are working here dedicated to that call for two hours," Spillers said.
The department had 13 sworn in officers as of 2015, which Spillers said puts them below the Georgia average of officers per thousand citizens. The last officer added was in 2007. Councilman Joe Anglin said he thinks the department may need more than just the one addition.
"I definetly think there's a huge need for another police officer," Anglin said. "I'm not so sure we don't need two."
The motion was made by Councilman Fred Richards to add the position to the department by the end of fiscal year 2016, which ends June 30. Spillers said the city would not immediately have to cover the cost of a new patrol car, as the departures have left cars available for use as soon as a new officer is put on patrol. He also said depending on the officer's level of prior training, it could take up to 16 weeks to get the officer on patrol. Council members said another officer addition coud be considered for fiscal year 2017, which begins July 1.
Spillers added that the city, like many other places around the nation, has seen an increase in violence against police officers, but that doesn't mean the problems are coming from city residents. He said many problems come from people coming from southern counties like Gwinnett and DeKalb who think that a smaller city might be less tough on criminal activity.
"It doesn't always work out for them that way," Spillers said.
STERLING ON THE LAKE TRAFFIC
The council also approved the addition of four-way stops and a crosswalk in the Sterling on the Lake subdivision to aid traffic flow in and around the growing neighborhood. The crosswalk and one of the four-way stops will be at on Lake Sterling Boulevard near the intersection of Capitola Farm Road. The others will be at proposed access points in the Knutson and Honeycutt pods of the subdivision.
