APD Chief outlines 2020 goals

(ALBANY, GA)- After a year where crime was up in the City of Albany, Chief of Police, Michael Persley is looking ahead to improving several areas of the department over the next year.

Chief Persley tells us, “Internally, we want to focus on employee wellness. Employee wellness being four areas that we need to focus on. That’s the mental, emotional, physical and spiritual wellness of the employee. And the reason I say the employee as this also encompasses the non-sown personnel.”

As well as keeping up the internal morale of the police department, Chief Persley wants to focus on what’s making some criminals tick.

He says, “You know, only a small percentage of the population commits the majority of the crime. The reason they are doing it is being studied. So with that understanding, how do we identify people who are the most prone to violent crime?”

While focusing internally is important to Chief Persley, the Albany Police Chief also wants to maintain and strengthen the connection the department has with the community.

“We have to make sure that we bolster the community’s trust. If we lose legitimacy with the community, that means we lose trust. And if we lose trust, it makes it difficult I say to continue to maintain good relationships that we do have,” says Chief Persley.

Chief Persley also says that from the beginning of September through the end of 2019, the Albany Police Department recorded more than 32,000 calls for service.