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Officials, citizen tab PTC police as professional at accreditation hearing By JOHN
MUNFORD
One by one, they strode to the podium with praise for the Peachtree City Police Department. Some of the speakers had some inside knowledge of the department's functions because of their status as public officials. Some residents carried law enforcement or military pedigrees to back up their high opinion of the Peachtree City force. And a few ordinary citizens chimed in too. All the speakers had virtually the same message: the Peachtree City Police Department is professional and deserves to be reaccredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies. The public hearing at City Hall Monday evening was before a three-person assessment team representing CALEA. The team has visited with officers and other staff while also conducting an exhaustive review of the department's case files to make sure the paperwork meets the various accreditation standards. The assessment team's findings will be forwarded to the full CALEA commission for review before the body decides whether or not to reaccredit the agency. Peachtree City Fire Chief Stony Lohr credited the police department for "providing excellent public safety teamwork" not only in day-to-day operations but also with community events and special scenarios such as hazardous materials incidents and search and rescue operations. "If you don't accredit this department, you shouldn't accredit any department," said Municipal Court Judge Eric Maxwell. Wayne Robinson, director of secondary school operations for the Fayette County School System, said police chief James Murray and his staff work with the school system in a number of ways, particularly with the school resource officer program which enhances school safety, he said. Andy Jurchenko, a professor of criminal justice at Griffin Tech and a retired military policeman, said he felt the police department's quality is outstanding, noting tha t many officers already hold college degrees. The department was also commended by Shelby Barker of the newly formed Peachtree City Teen Council for working with the council to find ways to build a better relationship between teens and police officers.
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