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ROME – Local Law Enforcement agency representatives were on hand today to receive the new truck that will aid in the fight against a chemical, biological or nuclear weapon attack in the Northwest Georgia Region.

Currently within the State of Georgia there is very limited amount of State and Local Law Enforcement Resources that are equipped and trained to respond and perform the Law Enforcement Function in a Chemical, Biological, or Nuclear Weapon of Mass Destruction Event.  Most Agencies do not have the budgetary funds to equip, train and support this type of teams.  The teams that currently exist in Georgia are within GBI and are located in some of the major metropolitan Law Enforcement Agencies.

Realizing the problem, a pilot program was established utilizing the Federal Office of Domestic Preparedness Grant Funds to equip one eight (8) person Law Enforcement Team that will respond to Chemical, Biological, or Nuclear situations in a predetermined geographic area.  The Georgia Emergency Management Agency will be responsible for distributing the grant funds.

The Rome and Floyd County Team will be available to respond to any major Chemical, Biological or Nuclear situation in area six (6) in Georgia.  Area six (6) covers Bartow, Carroll, Catoosa, Cherokee, Coweta, Dade, Dawson, Fannin, Floyd, Forsyth, Gilmer, Gordon, Haralson, Heard, Murray, Paulding, Pickens, Polk, Walker, Whitfield.

The other agencies hosting the Teams across the state are: Hall County, Lowndes, Laurens, Muscogee, Chatham, Gwinnett PD, Cobb PD, and Waycross PD.

Based on this pilot program being established, GBI Director Vernon Keenan requested Floyd County Police Chief Bill Shiflett to accept the responsibility of managing this Chemical Biological Nuclear Response Team.

This team will be a joint effort with manpower being furnished by the Floyd County Police Department, Rome Police Department and the Floyd County Sheriff’s Department and assistance from Floyd County EMA Director Scotty Hancock.

The members of the team were picked from the Rome Floyd Swat Team and the Floyd County Special Operations Group.  The team members are:
Commander Tom Ewing-FCPD
Capt. Greg Dobbins-FCPD
Jay Barnett-FCPD
Mike Mitchell-FCPD
Melvin Scott-Rome PD
Don Davis-Rome PD
Brandon Ekey-Rome PD
Brad Smith-Floyd County Sheriff Dept.

The United States Department of Homeland Security, Preparedness Directorate, Office of Grants and Training approved the application and awarded grant funding to the Georgia Emergency Management Agency on behalf of the State of Georgia.

GEMA in return has awarded the amount of $345,875.00 to the Floyd County Police Department to fund the CBNRT.  Captain Mark Wallace will maintain the grant and oversee all purchases relating to the unit.

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The Floyd County Police Department is asking motorists to move over.

Georgia’s “Move-Over” Law, which was passed in July of 2003, requires drivers to move over one lane when possible if an emergency vehicle with flashing lights is on the side of the highway. If traffic is too congested to move over safely, the law requires drivers to slow down below the posted speed limit and be prepared to stop. The law is meant to keep officers and traffic violators safe from crashes with passing cars.

According to Federal Bureau of Investigation statistics, traffic crashes claim the lives of more police personnel than any other cause of death in the line of duty, including shootings. Last year, forty-nine officers died in crashes across the country. Thirteen of those law enforcement officers were struck and killed by passing vehicles while they worked outside their patrol cars.

During 2003 alone, there were 78 crashes at State DOT worksites in Georgia. Those crashes claimed the lives of 84 people. Seventy-five percent of the crash victims were motorists and their passengers.

As a result, many Georgia law enforcement agencies now routinely assign patrol units to work in pairs during patrols, so that one officer can monitor ongoing traffic and standby to cite drivers who fail to move over or slow down, while the second officer is working traffic enforcement.

“We will be fair about giving citations if a lane change can’t be made safely. But drivers also have the option of slowing down,” said Captain Wallace. “If they don’t, we will give them a ticket. It’s for their own safety as well as our own.”

Fines in Georgia can be up to $500. Click here for more information on the Move Over Law,.

Floyd County Police Activate New Crime Tip Hotline

Rome, Ga. –- The Floyd County Police Department announced today the immediate activation of a new Crime Tip Hotline aimed at empowering citizens to report information on crime without fear of reprisal.

The hotline is available 24 hours a day by calling
706-236-5000 and utilizes an answering machine that is checked daily by the Intelligence Coordinator. Callers can anonymously report information on any crime including burglary, drugs, domestic violence, crimes against children, arson, robbery, gang activity, assaults and illegal dumping.

” The new Crime Tip Hotline is an approach to total community involvement in crime prevention,” said Floyd County Police Chief Bill Shiflett. “We strongly encourage citizens to make a difference in their communities by anonymously reporting any crime-related information they may have. I think this partnership will have a positive impact on neighborhoods across the county making them safer for everyone.”

Cities such as Louisville, Kentucky are already seeing the benefits of a crime tip hotline. Since its inception in October 2004, the Louisville Metro Police Department’s hotline has taken over 10,000 phone calls and averages approximately 1,000 phone calls each month. Calls to the hotline have resulted in 379 arrests, including closure in four homicides. In addition, two methamphetamine labs have been shut down and two serial bank robbers were captured thanks to citizen information.

All information received through the Floyd County Crime Tip Hotline will be kept confidential and there is no requirement that a caller leaves his or her name, telephone number or address unless the caller chooses to leave their contact information so an investigator can reach them. It is important to leave accurate and detailed information including the address or location of the crime, the time of day criminal activity occurred and any suspect names or vehicle information.

” Callers are encouraged to leave contact information in case the investigator has additional questions,” said Shiflett. “You may have a crucial bit of information, but not realize its value.”

The Crime Tip Hotline will not replace the 911 Emergency call number and should not be used for initial reporting of crimes that have just occurred. Citizens are encouraged to share the hotline number with community groups and associations, churches, businesses, family and friends.

For more information on the Crime Tip Hotline, call Chief Shiflett at 706-235-7766.