By JOHN THOMPSON
jthompson@TheCitizenNews.com

There appears to be a difference of opinion in Fairburn about the city's police protection.

During the last City Council meeting, a resident and the city's administrator took opposite sides in the debate.

Pat Chamber told the council that she thinks the department is understaffed and that police officers in the city are making less than unskilled workers in nearby factories.

Fairburn's reputation among other police departments is also suffering, she said.

"They let Fairburn hire and train them and then they [other police departments] hire them," she said.

Chambers said she hopes the City Council realizes how serious the implications of an understaffed police department are.

"It's not a small town anymore. There's big city crime in Fairburn," she said.

She recounted how she left her office at 1 p.m. one day and heard the sounds of gunshots, and she beseeched the council to provide more money and incentives for the officers to stay in town.

But City Administrator Tony Cox said the town is working on the problem and disputed that the staff is severely understaffed.

Cox said this year's budget calls for a 10 percent increase for police officers and said the department is down only one officer. The police budget adopted by the council is $1.36 million for operations and $106,600 for capital equipment for 34 employees.

He said that turnover has not been as bad since Chief Mackie Carson was hired. Cox said the city is constantly looking at incentives and other ways to keep the Police Department at full staff.