Field Operations Division

Field Operations deputies provide emergency response in life threatening situations and non-emergency assistance to a variety of criminal, traffic, medical and civil matters as well as natural disasters that may impact the overall quality of life. Field Operations deputies provide a full range of law enforcement services to the residents of Burke County.

The Field Operations Division is made up of four patrol shifts each. The uniformed patrol shifts operate on two, 12-hour shifts. These shifts are commanded by a lieutenant, sergeant and Corporal.

Each deputy on the shift is assigned a specific zone to patrol. The zone assignments are sometimes rotated. This allows the deputy to become familiar with his/her beat, the over all county and the residents that live in it. It also helps the deputy to be more community oriented with those who live in that particular area.

Colonel Chad Plueger leads this division. Colonel Plueger began his law enforcement career with the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office in 2005. While at the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, he was a jailer, and road patrol deputy, became a field training officer, and was promoted to the rank of Corporal within the road patrol division. In 2014 Colonel Plueger left the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office and began working with the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office. While at the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, he worked as a road patrol deputy and a field training officer. In 2019 Colonel Plueger left the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office and began working as a Sergeant in the Field Operations Division here at the Burke County Sheriff’s Office. Since coming to the Burke County Sheriff’s Office, he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant over a road patrol shift. Then he appointed a Major to command the Field Operations Division.