THOMAS COUNTY, GA (WTXL) — The Thomasville Police Department launched a community service officer program in 2024 to help address recruitment and retention struggles facing law enforcement agencies across Georgia. The program consists of police department members who are not sworn officers but respond to non-emergency calls, freeing up sworn officers to focus on emergencies. "Being out in the neighborhoods, in the schools, in the stores, just making sure everything feels safe, looks safe, is safe," Fantasia Griffin, a community service officer with the Thomasville Police Department, said. Since the program launched, officers handle about 40 calls a week and free up about 6 hours a day for sworn officers, helping improve response times across the community. Emily Unglaub, Manager of Onward Reserve in Thomasville, said the regular presence of community service officers in local businesses has made a difference. "I love how they come into each store, probably every week, one day a week, and they ask us how, you know, everything is going, and if they need help, or if they need to help us, and I love that because we feel important, and we feel very safe, and Thomasville has really, downtown, has really become more safe," Unglaub said. Griffin said the program's work goes beyond emergency response and includes everyday interactions that build trust with residents. "Even just unlocking their vehicles or they see us patrolling the neighborhoods that they live in. A lot of the times…
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