Dear Editor: The idea of allowing both the Rockdale Sheriff’s Office and the city of Conyers Police Department to solve and prevent all crime in Rockdale is absurd. We as taxpayers, business community leaders, teachers, County employees and clergy of this county must help our underpaid officers by being more vigilant and informative about potential criminal activity.

We must continually pay homage to the valiant prowess of former Deputy Brian Mahaffey who both gave and lost his life for all citizens of Rockdale County. This heroic officer was one of Rockdale’s finest. Deputy Mahaffey will never attend his child’s graduation, not because of his choice, but as a result of a criminal who had absolutely no regard for this officer or for those he loved and who loved him.

In the spirit of Deputy Mahaffey, we must support our officers overwhelmingly when they are working within the law. Moreover, no one, absolutely no one, can convince me that our police officers and our judicial system are not the best in the state. Is our judicial system here in Rockdale County infallible? Absolutely not! But for those who wish to move here and or visit, to commit a crime, may feel as though the penalties of our court system are too stringent when they are caught. My only response to them is, don’t commit a crime here in Rockdale!! Although we’re the second smallest county in the state, let us become the largest county in fighting crime and in non-discriminatory extended sentencing. The citizens of Rockdale need to adopt a zero tolerance paradigm in assisting our officers in fighting crime. However, I caution you to never get involved physically, but get involved verbally, by calling in phone tips. If we collectively as a county are not pro-active and on top of crime, I assure you, crime will be on top of us.

Finally, there is a woeful lack of understanding on behalf of the Chairman of this county as it relates to the importance of police officer pay. Instead of ensuring that our Sheriff’s Deputies of the county are being well paid for a fantastic job or at least being paid comparable to the police officers in Metro Atlanta, the Chairman’s focus has been to hire outsiders that push his individual agenda, while giving them exorbitant salaries and benefits. The goal is and will always be to strengthen Rockdale, not weaken it. Our officers risk their lives everyday protecting us from seen and unseen danger. Fortunately for Rockdale County, we have a sheriff in Jeff Wigington who is both proactive and community-centered. However, I cannot stress it enough, he needs our help. And I believe, if it were not for his community-based policing concept, we as a county, would be experiencing far more egregious crime than we are currently facing.

Show me a county that doesn’t focus its attention on making sure their first responders are equipped both financially and with the necessary tools to work effectively in getting the job done, and I’ll show you a county that’s in gradual erosion. We must do better!

Brian Jenkins

Rockdale County