Albany Police Chief says no one on his force has plans to resign; officers say recent gang threats are uniting them
ALBANY, GA -- Rumors began circulating after Albany City Manager James Taylor said seven Albany Police officers were considering resigning after recent gang threats. Some reports say the officers were not just thinking about resigning but already had.
“Everybody else seemed to take from one of the presentations that this police department is not committed to this community. And that's the furthest thing from the truth,” says Albany Police Chief John Proctor. “This has got me fired up and I’m ready to go to work.”
Proctor says he does not want the community believing the Albany police force is fleeing and giving up on the citizens.
“We're going to do our job and we're going to do it effectively and we're going to do it professionally,” Proctor says, who has also said previously that the recent gang threats will not deter the force from doing its job.
He says conversations he had with Taylor prior to statements about possible resignations were broad.
“I never said that we have seven people leave, I never said we had one people, two people leave; I said there may be some that leave,” says Proctor. “We have not had a rash of people submitting resignations because of the shooting.”
The officer who was shot at in a gang retaliation Aug. 23 is not going anywhere either, according to Proctor.
“We offered Glover some time away from work, he chose not to because he said ‘Chief, I’m not running away,’” he says.
Police officers say this is the profession they chose, and they have no intentions of leaving, even after receiving gang threats.
“It's united us more than anything. We’re willing to back each other up; we are backing each other up more so than ever,” says APD Officer Robert Michlei.
Cpl. Prurince Dice says as police officers, they witness all crimes from murders to rapes. The recent gang activity is just putting them on high alert.
“We're watching each other’s back, we're covering each other, and just pretty much where we were complacent at this incident that occurred, it helps us to be more alert in that area where we were,” says Dice.
Proctor says law enforcement is a difficult job, but he and his team are ready to handle what comes their way.
“The law enforcement is a special type of job not for everyone. Everyone I’ve spoke to here, I’m friends with everyone here, and I’m telling you everyone is willing to step up to the bat to do what they need to do to make this city safe,” says APD Officer Christopher Richardson.
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