Milledgeville Police Department introduces Specialized Patrol Unit

MILLEDGEVILLE, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – The Milledgeville Police Department is introducing a six-person Specialized Patrol Unit to educate and interact with the community.

“We’re going to be teaching about bullying, gangs, drugs, self esteem, peer pressure, and about how to stay safe and make safe, healthy choices,” Lt. Reenae Gray said.

Lt. Gray is the leader of the Specialized Patrol Unit. She wants to send a message to the community that officers are people too.

“We are citizens just like them,” Gray said. “Yes, we wear a badge and yes, we’re going to enforce the law. But we have lives just like them.”

Police Chief Dray Swicord created the new unit so his officers could have more one-on-one time with Milledgeville’s youth and adults.

“At the end of the day you hope to change one person’s life and show that law enforcement is here to help, not hurt,” Swicord said.

The Specialized Patrol Unit has 15 programs designed to prevent crime and reduce traffic accidents through education and community involvement.

Chief Swicord had no problem picking Lt. Gray to lead the charge. She was taught by her parents to make a difference and always be of service. She doesn’t want to stop at 15 programs, because each child she can keep out of jail is a “job well done.”

“They do as they see, they speak as they hear. So if they’re in a negative or non-positive environment then that’s the product you’re going to have,” Gray said. “But the way you change that is you surround them with people that care, people that want to make a difference.”

The Specialized Patrol Unit does more than just community involvement. They go out on patrol in high crime areas, enforce traffic and work in schools.

A full list of Milledgeville Police Specialized Patrol Unit programs is as follows:

Mentors in Blue – a mentoring program designed for at risk youth that includes the following activies:

• Police Little Lunch Buddies
• Fishing with a cop
• Golfing with a cop
• Bowling with a cop
• Playing ball with a cop
• Kicking it with a K-9

Stop Acts of Violence Education – Teaching school-age children about healthy relationships to decrease violence.

Child and Restraint Education – Car seat safety classes.

Seniors and Officers Socializing – Socializing with seniors to educate them on safety issues.

Citizen’s Police Academy – Course designed to give citizens a real understanding of the police department.

Concealed Carry Course – Course designed to give citizens a better understanding of Georgia’s gun laws and basic weapon functions.

Gang Resistance Education and Training – Educational program to education youth on gangs, crime, violence, bullying, drug abuse, etc.

Community Training and Enrichment – Program to train and educate citizens on safety and traffic issues.

Parents Reducing Injuries and Driver Error – A training program focusing on teen drivers and their parents.

DUI and Traffic Enforcement 

Gang Intelligence Gathering

Gangs Reduction and Prevention Education

Specific Concentration and Aggressive Patrolling Enforcement

Contact the Milledgeville Police Department for more information.