CENTERVILLE, Ga. — Police departments around the country are feeling the effects of the nationwide officer shortage.
It's continuing to affect large and small cities, including Centerville.
At Tuesday's council meeting, the board approved to increase the starting pay for officers from $17.54 to $20.26. Overtime is also included for all hourly employees, according to Chief Cedric Duncan.
He said the reason behind the police shortages around the country can range from pay to family reasons and disciplinary reasons.
When fully staffed, he is supposed to have 20 officers. Right now, he's seven officers short.
"I only run 2 or 3 men per shift," Duncan said. "Sometimes we get real busy, and I can't set boundaries where the officers need to be at. So, we all chip in all sides of the city so that makes everybody have 24-hour coverage."
"I just think that, if they're short-staffed, give them what they need to keep everyone safe," Keith Turner said.
Turner co-owns the Apple Basket with his wife, Roz. In 2018, they opened their first and only shop in Centerville.
Despite the police shortage in their city, the Turners says the officers who've stayed and are actively on-duty help them out.
"My wife and I start very early in the morning, and we see the officers," Turner said. "They'll pass by and drive around the building and make sure the building is secured."
He continues, "At times, they'll come, stop and talk to us and, you know, ask us how we're doing. And, a couple of times, asked us how they're doing. And, so, I always give them positive feedback."
"With everything going on in the world today, one of the main things we need is peace officers in the city, states and all the rural communities," Duncan said. "I always say Centerville is not the biggest city, but we experience everything that the big cities do, but just not at a high volume."
The chief said the application process is not hard, but may take a few weeks.
After the initial application is submitted and sent to City Hall, the chief will review it before reaching out to the candidate for a background check.
"We do a thorough investigation, and then we call you in for an oral interview and a psychological exam. If all that goes good, we'll do a polygraph test. If that goes through, the candidate is ready for me to speak with them to offer a position then."
To apply, visit the City of Centerville website.