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Sheriff's office shows 911 calls, warns crime index rising as staffing lags population growth
Summary
The sheriff's office presented a video and testimony saying Camden County's GBI crime index rose from about 6% in 2019 to 11.8% in 2024 while deputy and jail staffing remains largely unchanged as population and development expand, a presentation intended to underscore budget and staffing needs.
Kristen Kennedy, public information specialist for the Camden County Sheriff's Office, presented a video on June 16 that combined 911-call audio and first-person employee statements to illustrate operational demands and workforce challenges facing law enforcement and emergency services.
Kennedy told commissioners the county's crime index, per Georgia Bureau of Investigation measures, rose from about 6% in 2019 to 11.8% in 2024, and that the county's population has also grown by roughly 5,000 during that period. She warned that staffing levels for patrol and jail operations have not increased proportionally with population and rising crime metrics.
The presentation included sworn personnel speaking about repeated traumatic incidents, long shifts and the emotional burden of emergency response. Kennedy said the purpose of the educational video was to connect budget line items to human impacts and to show why the sheriff views some requests as "mission essential."
Commissioners thanked staff for the presentation and clarified that questions during the session were meant for information; one commissioner noted many deputies attending the meeting were off-duty and not on overtime. The session did not include a formal budget vote; it served as an informational briefing to inform commissioners ahead of budget deliberations.
