The tight labor market has forced a change in law enforcement routines in south Hall County. Effective immediately, the Hall County Sheriff’s Office will respond to all overnight calls in the city of Oakwood between midnight and 6 a.m. This includes routine calls for service as well as calls for criminal investigation.
Oakwood City Manager B.R. White says the change was necessary because the Oakwood Police Department is understaffed.
“In order to continue to provide the citizens with the same level of service, the Oakwood PD has made adjustments to it’s regular shifts and asked the sheriff’s office for assistance,” he says.
“The Oakwood Police Department reached out to us for assistance and we agreed to help,” says Hall County Sheriff Gerald Couch. “While our resources have not changed at the sheriff’s office, we are making adjustments to ensure all of our citizens are protected at all times of the day or night.”
Oakwood residents will still call for law enforcement the same as before. They should dial 911 for emergencies and 770-536-8812 for non-emergencies.
Problem not unique
The problem Oakwood is facing is not unique. The Baldwin Police Department has had to rely on the Habersham County Sheriff’s Office for help due to staffing issues. And law enforcement agencies, in general, are finding it increasingly difficult to retain employees.
“Like many of the existing businesses throughout the county, recruiting and hiring during this post-COVID time is difficult for the city,” says White. “We are seeing individuals leave law enforcement to begin new unrelated careers to spend more time with their family or simply to find a better paying job.”
When Flowery Branch announced its new starting salary for police officers is $50,000 per year, it made things more challenging for neighboring Oakwood. White says it’s “difficult for many law enforcement agencies to compete.”
Oakwood officials are working on an informal salary study to determine what it can do to help retain officers and increase their starting pay.
