WARNER ROBINS, Ga. — Four months after announcing a part-time program to add more officers to the force, the Warner Robins Police Department is still trying to kick it off.
"To protect and to serve" is an oath police take, but across the country and right here in Central Georgia, they face another challenge.
"We just need more police to become proactive, and right now, were chasing calls," former Chief John Wagner said.
Back in September 2022, Warner Robins' mayor and police department announced a program to get part-time police through the door. The plan is to hire 15 P.O.S.T certified officers to pick up some of the workload, but it's stalled.
"We've had a change of command, so that kind of slowed that down, but interim Chief Fisher has been going forward with creating a policy that would govern how that program would work within the Warner Robins Police Department," Lieutenant Eric Gossman said.
Gossman says the department is authorized for 135 officers but currently has 32 openings. 32 jobs may seem small, but the workload is growing.
"Yesterday at 6 a.m. until this morning at 6 a.m., we had 193 calls for service, and during that time, you would have on average 14 to 16 officers working," he explained.
Warner Robins Police starting salary is nearly $35,000 a year, and with Georgia lawmakers buzzing about upping the pay for law enforcement, Gossman says it couldn't hurt.
"It would make it more attractive to, as a place to work, because you've got competing businesses that are paying similar amounts starting out to what we pay that doesn't involve danger,” he continued.
Warner Robins officials still can't say when that part-time program may begin.
After Interim Chief Wayne Fisher approves the policy, it will go to the human resources department. Gossman says the number of openings is down from 43 in September to 32 now.