Statham chief reports few violent crimes

The Statham Police Department offered a year-end report to council Tuesday night, which included few violent crimes.

Police chief Steve Martin detailed the report to council and said that over the year, the department began tracking its performance daily.

“We have made great strides in the professionalism of the department,” he said.

Goals achieved over the year included implementing a revised Standard Operating Procedures and Guidelines Manual and obtaining several grants.

“We were fortunate to be one of only a few departments statewide to be awarded a grant under the Department of Justice’s COPS Hiring Grant,” Martin said. “With that award, we received funding for a fulltime police officer for three years to launch our community outreach and crime reduction programs.”

The department also received funding to replace five officer’s body amour.

In addition, the report mentioned Statham’s new taser devices. After the approval in the spring of officers to buy three taser electronic control devices, the units are now in place as part of regular equipment. Officers who carry tasers in Statham are required to attend special training sessions to learn the proper use and deployment, which the officers have gone through.