WRPD hosts town hall, taking questions from residents

"We have never seen anything like this before within our communities that we policed."

WARNER ROBINS, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Residents gathered at the First Baptist Church of Garmon Street for a town hall meeting hosted by the Warner Robins Police Department on Thursday evening. 

Warner Robins Police Chief Wayne Fisher and other department leaders fielded questions for over an hour, addressing topics from response times to recruiting challenges.

Chief Fisher reported encouraging declines in some crime categories over the past year, including a 50 percent drop in rape and sexual offenses, a 21 percent decrease in general theft, and a 29 percent reduction in vandalism.

Although, he also noted an uptick in more serious crimes such as embezzlement, kidnapping, and domestic violence.

“We have never seen anything like this before within our communities that we policed. I think it’s somewhat representative of the times we’re in society,” Chief Fisher told residents. He cited six homicide investigations and eight deaths related to domestic violence in 2025.

Antoine Jackson, a Warner Robins resident of 24 years, said he attended the meeting to stay informed on what’s going on in his backyard.

“Anything that might be going on that has increased the numbers…and so therefore, I just need to be aware, Better safe than sorry and just have situational awareness about what’s going on here in Warner Robinson and Houston County,” said Jackson.

Another resident asked about police response times, and Chief Fisher explained that times depend on the urgency of the call and where officers are located. He acknowledged recruitment needs, noting the department has 15 vacancies.

Other questions from the community focused on fentanyl, school safety, and the department’s efforts to recruit young people to join the police force.