Georgia Sheriff Revives Volunteer Posse After 30 Years

When your local sheriff's office needs help, would you answer the call?

Thomas County, Georgia is betting neighbors will say yes. After more than 30 years, the Sheriff's Office is reviving its volunteer posse program to tackle everything from storm cleanup to missing child searches.

Sheriff Tim Watkins knows this isn't a brand new idea. The county ran a similar program three decades ago, and now it's time to dust off that playbook and put it back to work.

The reason is simple. Law enforcement agencies across the country are struggling with staffing shortages, and Thomas County is no exception. Sergeant Dylan Groves, who's coordinating the program, says there are tasks that don't require a sworn officer but still need doing.

Picture this: a tree falls across a road after a storm. Instead of pulling a deputy away from emergency calls to direct traffic around it, a trained volunteer can step in. That means deputies stay available for situations that truly need their expertise.

The volunteer posse will handle traffic control at Friday night football games and parades, assist in searches for missing people, help clear roads after severe weather, and support large community gatherings. These are the moments when extra hands make everyone safer.

Before anyone gets a vest and a radio, they'll complete required training. Groves says volunteers will learn about liability, what they can and cannot do, and how to preserve evidence if they encounter it. The goal is to prepare people properly, not just throw them into situations unprepared.

The Ripple Effect

This program does something law enforcement desperately needs right now: it rebuilds the bridge between officers and the communities they serve. When your neighbor becomes part of the public safety team, trust grows naturally.

Volunteers get to see firsthand what challenges their sheriff's office faces. Deputies get to work alongside people they're protecting. Everyone wins when the gap between "us" and "them" shrinks.

The requirements are straightforward. You need to be at least 18 years old and able to pass a background check. That's it. No previous law enforcement experience required, no special skills needed upfront.

Thomas County residents interested in joining can call the Sheriff's Office at 229-225-3300 to start the process. The training will teach you everything else you need to know.

It's a reminder that community safety isn't just the responsibility of people with badges and uniforms—it belongs to all of us.