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Trooper TroublesThe Georgia Highway Patrol needs hefpPrevious studies have indicated that the members trf tiie patrol are mostij well-trained and professional, but nmstdterably too few in Bomber' to. patrol adequately the thousands end thousands of miles of fairways in Georgia, biggest stole east of the Mississippi.The troopers often face situations of difficulty or potential danger, and because of that Ool- Berman Gofer, director of public safety, has ordered that the patrol retom to two-mac patrol cars, rather than one-man ears which had been the rule in recent years.Gofer said the move was made as a protective measure tor both - the politic and troopers. “Our -studies indicate that two officers in patrol car. are far more effective than one, particularly at night in rural areas,” he said.The safety director also said that the fatal if sooting of an Alabama youth by a lone Georg® trooper last week site the youth -scuffled with tini psiiciman and tool-, his service revolver probably would not have happened if two troopers bad bran present.Gofer surely knows well of what he speaks, but one result of the return to two-maa patrol cars will be to cut approximately in half the state patni coverage of Georgi* highways — nndthatis a verybadfesulttiiatgbotildiiottie in a state supposedly as progressive as Georgia. ': ■' It is tmdkmhfedly Justified to «pes®ie twoman patrol cars in some situations, but not in ethers. Bur esatmple, could not one trooper operate straffic radar patrol as-well as two . men — especially if he is very wary and makes proper use ' of his radio to communieatewitii his post command, or if .the patrol Baade better use of computer communications?'And there-.are other Jobs toil highway patrolmen perform that sSmvdy could^be curtailed to pot more of them mi the highways where their primjsy stafy is.- Moat aqy Georgia politician — an burnt one, fiat is - - knows that there are some pttrd tonctions that could be reduced.It’s way past time tor Georgia to greatly boost the manpower and effective**® of. its highway patrol. The troopers are already doing a good Job, but they need Wp to do better. R will take more money, of course, tart the stats government could probably find it within present resources if it managed ite financial affairs better.Maybe the new governor and general assembly next year will slap playing politics and footing around-'with unimportant Hungs long enough to attend, to. the 'very important business of .ste»gti»@ning Georgia’s highway patrol
Newspaper Details
Jackson Progress Argus
Jackson, Georgia, US
Thu, Aug 08, 1974
Page 2
Full Page
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Anonymous
USA 29 Sep 2024
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