“Protection to person and property is the paramount duty of government and shall be impartial and complete. No person shall be denied the equal protection of the laws,” stated Deal.
Governor Nathan Deal introduced a major law enforcement reform package which includes compensation pay raises and a multi-phase training overhaul for state officers.
Phase 1 of the training overhaul will include continuing education, training on the use of force, and building positive community relations. Phase 2 involves expansion of Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) which equips officers with the knowledge and skills to approach individuals with mental illness. Phase 3 will involves the creation of a task for to review current law enforcement training and proved recommendations for improvement.
Governor Deal emphasized that the state should put its money where the priorities are. “It is incumbent upon the government to recruit and retain the best and brightest, while equipping them with the training and resources they require. They deserve our unwavering commitment and support.”
More than 3,300 state law enforcement officers will receive a 20 percent pay raise effective January 1, 2017, and represents more than $78 million instate funding in the amended FY17 and FY 18 budget.
