Burke County Sheriff
Community Services Division
The Burke County Sheriff’s Office Community Services Division objectives are to foster a relationship with the citizens, educate the citizens on different subjects, provide safety related programs based on community needs and be active in our schools with teaching drug resistance programs and mentoring programs.
The Community Services Division accomplishes its mission through the development and presentation of various programs in response to the changing needs of the county, as well as maintaining established prevention, safety and educational programs. Members of this division duties include speaking to various groups on crime prevention methods, distributing crime prevention literature and maintaining liaisons with neighborhood watch groups.
Camp IMPACT
CAMP IMPACT, is a non-profit organization hosted by Burke County Sheriff’s Office, to prevent continuous and repetitive youth criminal actions. The program begins every year during the summer for 6 weeks targeting young males and females ages of 12-16. The program continues throughout the school year and end at the conclusion of May of the next year so that new attendees may be enrolled into the program. The program is designed to be educational, informative, challenging and instructional. We focus on strengthening their ability to comprehend, respond correctly to confusing and difficult situations. We also place emphasis on Drug and Alcohol Awareness, Behavior, Bullying, Gang Resistance and much more.
Citizen’s Police Academy
The Citizen’s Police Academy provides Burke County residents a hands-on learning experience of the many divisions of the Burke County Sheriff's Office. The academy is a 12-week program with classes running approximately 2 hours, once a week. Instruction is provided by sworn deputies in their field of expertise. The Burke County Sheriff’s Office has found that education has been the most effective in gaining understanding and support from the community. The academy is FREE to Burke County residents. Participants must be 18 years of age or older, of good moral character, and have no felony convictions.
Course Curriculum Includes- Patrol, K9, SRO’s, Traffic, Detention Center, Transportation, GOHS, Judicial Center Security, Records/Administration, Communications, Narcotics, Training Division, SWAT, Crime Suppression Team, Civil Division, Criminal Investigation Division (CID).
Youth Explorers Program
This program's goal is to enhance the Explorers' preparation for future roles as citizens, community members, leaders and future law enforcement officers. The goal of the program is to provide members with a basic knowledge of the field of law enforcement. The Explorers also participate in competitions on a State and National Level. They also partake in ride-alongs and Community Services Activities.
Citizens Advisory Board
This board meets with the Sheriff once a month to discuss issues and to make suggestions and recommendations to improve the community and the Sheriff’s Office. The input from each member helps foster a better relationship with citizens within the county.
C.H.A.M.P.S Program
Today’s students all over the world are faced with dangerous situations that generations before them wouldn’t had to experience. Choosing Healthy Activities and Methods Promoting Safety (C.H.A.M.P.S.) was founded in 2003 by the Georgia Sheriffs’ Association to address these urgent challenges. The program is currently taught to all fifth graders throughout Burke County. All C.H.A.M.P.S. Instructors attend two vigorous weeks of training to best teach students while they are faced with many circumstances. There are twenty-two different lessons that make up this program with a total of 20 fifth grade classes that participate in the program.
SENIOR C.A.R.E. (Caring About Resident Elderly) Program
The Senior C.A.R.E. (Caring About Resident Elderly) program is sponsored by the Burke County Sheriff’s Office to ensure the safety of our elderly, homebound, or medically disabled citizens. These citizens can feel a sense of security and care knowing a call or visit will be made from the Community Service Division.
Adopt-A-Road
The Adopt-a-Road litter prevention initiative, sponsored by Burke County Sheriff’s Office and Burke County Road Department, enables citizens to show their pride in Burke County and safely reduce the amount of unsightly trash and illegal signage alongside county roadways. Unkempt communities are more likely to have increased crime, decreased economic growth and a decline in quality of life. The litter prevention efforts of the Adopt-a-Road program directly benefit the community through litter prevention, greater civic involvement, and area beautification.