St. Marys police department missing nearly half its force, and it's not alone

St. Marys police department is missing 40% of its force.

The city said the police department is down 12 officers. The city manager said the department should have 30 officers, but is at 18 – that’s 40 percent less than optimal.

“That’s crazy. That’s unreal,” said Adriana Remour, who lives in St. Marys.

“I’m very upset with that,” Billy Hoylman said.

It’s something Hoylman, who has lived in St. Marys all of his life, has noticed.

“In the past two to three years, I have seen the numbers dwindle,” he said.

Despite being down in terms of numbers, the city said response times are OK. The Camden County Sheriff’s Office said it brings in two to three deputies every weekend to help out.

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“We need as many police officers we can get,” Hoylman said.

Other local departments are also having the same problem, including Clay County. In February, the Sheriff’s Office said it was down nearly 50 deputies. In September, Crescent City Police Department said it was also down and only had four officers. But other sheriff’s offices, including Camden and St. Johns, said they are at full staff.

In St. Marys, neighbors said they’ll feel more comfortable when they see more badges.

“We need to get them back somehow,” Hoylman said.

The city said the chief of the police department resigned in the last month. He took another job in northern Georgia. The city also said a graduating class should bring in at least two more officers.

A recent report by the Washington Post said nationwide, interest in becoming a police officer is down significantly. It surveyed 400 police departments, and 66% of them said their number of applicants had decreased.

Cox Media Group