The Appling County Sheriff’s Office has been winding up September and gearing up for October! The newest Deputy of the ACSO, Chris Saunders, graduated Basic Law Enforcement Training. Sheriff Melton, Chief Gene Davis, Captain Kenny Wright and Captain Adam Bell attended the graduation ceremony. 911 Dispatcher Della Bizzell and Jailer Brandon Griffis represented the ACSO at the Altamaha River Fall River Excursion. Explorer Law Enforcement Post 560 held their bi-monthly class. The Speaker for the evening was Chief Investigator Jeff Evans. Captain Evans spoke to the group on Special Weapons and Tactics (S.W.A.T.) Team functions and purposes. He was able to provide information on S.W.A.T Teams on every level from county, regional, state, national, and international, all from his personal experiences. The ACSO Patrol Division hosted a Congratulations Luncheon for Kenny Wright on his promotion from Lieutenant to Captain. ACSO staff met with representatives from the District Attorney’s Office and Community Supervision regarding probation revocation status. The ACSO Detention Center welcomed the new healthcare provider, Onsite Correctional Healthcare, LLC. This group will provide healthcare for the inmates as well as offer primary healthcare for the ACSO staff. Security was provided for both the Altamaha Elementary School Fall Festival and the Fourth District Elementary School Fall Festival. The Department of Corrections held a Job Fair in the ACSO Courtroom to recruit new employees. Sheriff Melton was out and about building community relations by providing a walk thru visit with Harris Waste Management. He was happy to address safety concerns and other questions for the company. If you would like a visit from the Sheriff for your company, please contact the ACSO and schedule with Allison Flory, Public Affairs Officer. The Sheriff also attended and provided security for the Appling County Commissioners Meeting. Deputies Ethan Edwards and Michael Byrd attended Radar Certification Class. Extra patrol was provided for Dunns Lake Road and Midway Church Road due to road closures. The ACSO delivered case evidence to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Forensic Science Facility for identification processing. Chief Deputy Gene Davis attended the weekly construction meeting on the new detention center addition. Sheriff Melton, Chief Davis and Allison Flory attended a meeting with the new Appling Health Care System CEO, Randy Crawford. Medical expenses between the hospital and the ACSO were discussed. Danny Horne, Pastor of Zion Church of God, and Youth Pastor Adam Thomas, of Mt. Vernon Baptist Church, were Chaplins for the two weeks.
During the period of September 21 through October 4, the ACSO provided the following services:
Deputies and Investigators made 53 arrests, issued 91 warnings, wrote 53 citations, served 39 Criminal and 25 Civil papers for various courts, completed 66 incident reports, provided security for Grand Jury, Superior, State and Juvenile Courts. Deputies performed 67 community business and residence courtesy checks. K-9 officers performed nine (9) drug searches. There were 12 vehicle crashes worked by deputies, with assists from the Georgia State Patrol. Deputies patrolled 13,709 miles for the period. The Sheriff’s Office considered it an honor to provide five (5) funeral escorts throughout the 10 weeks. Investigators with the Sheriff’s Office initiated 11 new criminal investigations and closed four (4).
The Appling County Detention Center provided protection for our citizens by safely housing an average of 89 inmates during the current period. Jailers completed 66 new inmate intakes and processed 64 inmate releases, which includes inmates from other counties that request our assistance in housing their inmates. Food service served 3586 meals. We continue to provide one outside detail that maintains the grounds of most county facilities.
Our 911 Emergency Call Center Dispatchers received and dispatched 15 calls for service, of which 454 were emergency calls directly to 911. These numbers do not include routine communications between dispatch and units nor does it include the normal calls for training and drills.
FOR ACSO AND OTHER COMMUNITY UPDATES, PLEASE FOLLOW SHERIFF MELTON’S FACEBOOK PAGE “MARK MELTON, SHERIFF OF APPLING COUNTY” AND VISIT THE ACSO WEBSITE AT www.applingcountysheriffsoffice.com.