a balancing act that wasn't always there
MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. - It’s a good thing when a city police department and a local business owner can understand each other.
Both the Milledgeville Police Department and one of the bars in the downtown area had a common word to describe the city’s police and how they serve: balance.
In a college town, it’s near certain there will be drinking, especially underage.
While it is perfectly legal for police to ask someone to give legal form of I.D., Major John Davis of the Milledgeville Police Department (MPD) knows that there is a delicate act they have to do.
“Balance safety with the 4th Amendment,” said Davis.
The 4th Amendment protects citizens from unlawful searches and seizures.
Thursday and Saturday nights are the most popular nights for students to go to the bars in downtown Milledgeville.
“I put out two extra officers on those nights,” said Davis.
One way that balance works is by working with Georgia College Public Safety.
The Milledgeville Police work closely with them since they have jurisdiction up to 500 feet off campus, which includes the downtown area.
David Hufstetler has been the owner of one of the bars in downtown Milledgeville, Buffington’s, for the past year.
He sees the balance the city police try to maintain.
He said that the general consensus between the bars downtown and the MPD is that “if the bars provide security inside, then the police will take care of the outside.”
He’s had to call them six times the past year for help and each time he’s had no problem with them.
This good relationship however hasn’t always been the case.
Hufstetler recalls that before he bought Buffington’s last year, the previous owner had told him of officers too often coming into bars and ID’ing patrons.
This is where the balancing act comes into play.
Bar owners don’t want police constantly around, as it’ll scare away customers.
Police have a legal right to check for underage drinking and I.D. someone.
A short time ago, the Milledgeville City Police was not seen too kindly by the community they serve.
Major Davis admits the MPD used to go into bars more frequently several years back, but don’t anymore because they want to find that balance between private property and public safety.
One Milledgeville resident said that the MPD has changed overall in the past few years for the better and he thinks he knows why.
Raliegh Burch has been a resident of Milledgeville since 1990.
He believes the MPD changing has to do with the resigning of former police chief Woodrow Blue, who left in 2012 to become police chief in East Point, Georgia.
“He let things continue as they were. Not many improvements. They were prejudice against the other race,” said Burch.
Blue had been chief for over a decade before current chief Dray Swicord took over.
Burch believes this change has been important to making the relationship better between the police and their community.
“Be more out in public. To have them talk to the public. To have the officers be more personable,” said Burch.
Major Davis believes the department maintains a good relationship with the community while trying to continue to be involved.
According to Davis, they’ve reduced accidents by 300 this past year through safety courses and seatbelt checkpoints.
He said they have handed out over 9,000 pamphlets this year to drivers in regards to safety.
They offer car seat installation courses where they have someone properly install safety seats.
Davis however also understands the mentality that some people have against any police force.
“You’re always going to have people that are detractors,” said Davis. “We’re law enforcement. Not everybody’s going to like it.”
Both the Milledgeville Police Department and one of the bars in the downtown area had a common word to describe the city’s police and how they serve: balance.
In a college town, it’s near certain there will be drinking, especially underage.
While it is perfectly legal for police to ask someone to give legal form of I.D., Major John Davis of the Milledgeville Police Department (MPD) knows that there is a delicate act they have to do.
“Balance safety with the 4th Amendment,” said Davis.
The 4th Amendment protects citizens from unlawful searches and seizures.
Thursday and Saturday nights are the most popular nights for students to go to the bars in downtown Milledgeville.
“I put out two extra officers on those nights,” said Davis.
One way that balance works is by working with Georgia College Public Safety.
The Milledgeville Police work closely with them since they have jurisdiction up to 500 feet off campus, which includes the downtown area.
David Hufstetler has been the owner of one of the bars in downtown Milledgeville, Buffington’s, for the past year.
He sees the balance the city police try to maintain.
He said that the general consensus between the bars downtown and the MPD is that “if the bars provide security inside, then the police will take care of the outside.”
He’s had to call them six times the past year for help and each time he’s had no problem with them.
This good relationship however hasn’t always been the case.
Hufstetler recalls that before he bought Buffington’s last year, the previous owner had told him of officers too often coming into bars and ID’ing patrons.
This is where the balancing act comes into play.
Bar owners don’t want police constantly around, as it’ll scare away customers.
Police have a legal right to check for underage drinking and I.D. someone.
A short time ago, the Milledgeville City Police was not seen too kindly by the community they serve.
Major Davis admits the MPD used to go into bars more frequently several years back, but don’t anymore because they want to find that balance between private property and public safety.
One Milledgeville resident said that the MPD has changed overall in the past few years for the better and he thinks he knows why.
Raliegh Burch has been a resident of Milledgeville since 1990.
He believes the MPD changing has to do with the resigning of former police chief Woodrow Blue, who left in 2012 to become police chief in East Point, Georgia.
“He let things continue as they were. Not many improvements. They were prejudice against the other race,” said Burch.
Blue had been chief for over a decade before current chief Dray Swicord took over.
Burch believes this change has been important to making the relationship better between the police and their community.
“Be more out in public. To have them talk to the public. To have the officers be more personable,” said Burch.
Major Davis believes the department maintains a good relationship with the community while trying to continue to be involved.
According to Davis, they’ve reduced accidents by 300 this past year through safety courses and seatbelt checkpoints.
He said they have handed out over 9,000 pamphlets this year to drivers in regards to safety.
They offer car seat installation courses where they have someone properly install safety seats.
Davis however also understands the mentality that some people have against any police force.
“You’re always going to have people that are detractors,” said Davis. “We’re law enforcement. Not everybody’s going to like it.”
All photo credits: Benedict Esposito