Two Athens-Clarke County commissioners are pushing to dramatically reduce the size of the county's police force.
Commissioners Tim Denson and Mariah Parker are pushing a plan to halve the department gradually over the next decade, the Athens Banner-Herald reported Friday.
Under the plan, as the number of officers drop, they would be replaced with unarmed nonpolice mental health professionals and social workers.
The plan is similar to what some other cities are considering in the aftermath of the death of George Floyd, who was killed by a Minneapolis police officer.
The commissioners want the county to allocate $50,000 in the new budget to develop an implementation plan.
The newspaper said reaction to the plan was mixed among other commissioners. But some commissioners may support some aspects of it, especially the addition of mental health professionals.
Athens-Clarke police shot and killed six people last year. Investigations found the shootings were justified, but Police Chief Cleveland Spruill has required that officers undergo additional training designed to de-escalate confrontations.
