Howell to push for new police department; other commissioners question cost, need

Nearly a dozen years after the Macon Police Department was disbanded during the consolidation of the city and county governments, a Macon-Bibb County commissioner is drafting an ordinance that would let voters decide whether to create a new Bibb County police department.

Commissioner Bill Howell, who represents the southern part of Bibb County, said he witnesses the need for more traffic enforcement frequently on his daily commutes, during which he sees drivers running red lights and wheeling around town without lawful license plates. He’s also aware of the often long wait times 911 callers experience due to the shortage of sheriff’s deputies.  

“I pay my taxes … When I have a wreck or something happens, by God I think somebody ought to show up,” Howell said, referencing long wait times and spotty responses previously reported. “I’m sick of hearing we don’t have enough officers.” 

Sheriff David Davis, first elected in 2012, was elected for a fourth term in November 2024.

There were 200 cops on patrol countywide before the city and county consolidated into a unified government in a move that dissolved the Macon Police Department. Early in 2024, the sheriff’s office had 83 patrol officers, roughly half the 162 patrol deputies budgeted.

In a phone call Wednesday, Davis said the sheriff’s office has “turned the corner on staffing” and has about 800 employees, including 300 part-time workers and a budget for 500 full-time officers. Previously, Davis cited noncompetitive salaries and fewer people interested in law enforcement careers as reasons for the shortage of deputies. 

Davis said creating a new police department likely won’t solve the shortage of law enforcement officers.

“People think we’ll have two agencies and more people but that’s not the case,” Davis said. “We’d be looking for some of the same people.”

Davis said he has had conversations with Howell about his plan but had “not seen any specific proposals.”

“The ultimate decider on that would be the people,” Davis said. “The people voted in consolidation with the sheriff’s office being the law. … Are we talking about now deconsolidating certain parts of the government? … If the people were to vote for it, we would cooperate. … But I think we have to look at the efficiencies.”

Davis said it took about a year to iron out the details of how the Macon Police Department would combine with the sheriff’s office. 

Ultimately, the sheriff said it comes down to who the people want to be in charge of law enforcement in Bibb County.

“Do they want someone who is directly accountable and responsible to the citizens? Or a law enforcement person whose first responsibility is going to be elected commissioners, the mayor and leaders of the county?”

The Bibb County sheriff is a constitutional officer elected by voters, but police chiefs are typically appointed and serve at the discretion of the mayor. 

Howell said he envisions the new police department would include about 30-35 officers and could “cost about another mill in taxes.”

“Traffic is from 6 in the morning to 11 at night, mostly,” he said. “So if you had 10 people on a shift and three shifts, 30 people could cover all of the time that you really need traffic (officers.)”

Howell declined to share a draft of the ordinance he is preparing as he “didn’t want that floating out there” and wanted to talk to the sheriff first. Macon-Bibb County also declined to produce the draft ordinance and said the document is “considered privileged communications or attorney work product not subject to disclosure.”

Creating a police department would require a change to the county’s charter, a governing document only the local legislative delegation can amend under the Gold Dome. Howell said he’s spoken to three of the eight state house representatives and senators in Macon’s delegation and that they were on board with the plan, but he declined to name them. 

Mayor Lester Miller has prodded state legislators to make other changes to the charter, including an amendment to allow him to serve another four-year term, which would extend beyond the two-term limit in the current charter. Miller and Howell have been vocal in recent years about the need for a police department.

“I’ve talked about this since I was elected in 2020,” Howell said of his proposal for a second law enforcement agency in Bibb County. “It’s just taken me this long to get enough traction because obviously this has to pass the commission. … I don’t want to do it with five votes; I want everybody on board with it.”

Howell said he plans to introduce the ordinance at a meeting early next year and that it could be on the ballot for voters as early as May or November. 

At least four commissioners told The Melody they are in no hurry to create another law enforcement agency. 

Commissioner Paul Bronson, who represents downtown, the East side of Pleasant Hill and part of East Macon, said he wants data and details on structure, cost and operations before considering a new police department. 

“I think, if anything, we need to be looking at ways to retain our officers that we do have,” Bronson said. “My fear is that, would creating another police department help or hinder us? … I’m in favor of working with what we have now and trying to get a good handle on that first before we start creating additional things. I’m not against it completely, I just want to see more of the numbers.”

Bronson said Davis has “done what he can with the resources he’s been provided.”  

Commissioner Donice Bryant, who worked at the sheriff’s office in 2014 at the time of consolidation, said she remembers “we lost 54 officers” who were experienced and making higher salaries. 

“People thought we were getting more officers but it didn’t happen that way,” Bryant said. “When we consolidated, it didn’t happen. … They may have seven people working the whole city or county. We didn’t get any more.”

Bryant said she was unsure if it would be a conflict of interest for her to vote on the ordinance when it is introduced. 

Though Howell’s idea would be only for traffic, Bryant worries about conflict between the two agencies on who handles what. 

“I’m a no,” Bryant said. “Unless they can put something in the charter that says traffic enforcement only and you can’t go outside those boundaries.” 

Commissioner Valerie Wynn said her biggest concern was how the county would pay for a police department.

“There’s going to be a cost involved. I don’t know what that cost would be,” Wynn said. “The other factor is: where are we going to get the people to man or be part of that police department when we can’t even fill [positions] at the sheriff’s department?”

Wynn also noted police chiefs are typically appointed by the mayor and said, “how would we know that’s the right person? … I just don’t know how it’s all going to work.”

Commissioner Stanley Stewart, who represents East Macon, said he is against the proposal.

“Why not finance a patrol division within the current structure that we have?” Stewart said. “That came with consolidation and now it seems like a power grab. … Since we’re talking about changing charters, maybe we need to change the charter to have partisan elections again.”