City of Waycross

The Special Operations Section is responsible for all vice-related investigations. This is the most proactive section in the department. Their primary investigations revolve mostly around drug sales, prostitution, alcohol sales, and gang-related activities. This section is commanded by Captain Trent Gibbs and he is assisted by a Lieutenant.

The Community Relations / Crime Prevention Officer presents programs to the community such as Home Security, Senior Citizen Safety, Personal Safety, Stranger Danger, Gun Safety, Women’s SAFE course, and Women’s shooting course. Programs are presented upon request from clubs, schools, or civic organizations.

The Community Relations Officer also coordinates the Citizen Police Academy. The Citizen Police Academy is offered to the community to educate citizens on the tasks, training, and various other aspects of each section within the police department. It is a 10-week class that has been well received by past participants.

Senior Safety Day and Kids Fun Day are community events sponsored by the police department. These are provided to educate the public and give the officers a chance to give back to the community.

For more information, or for a presentation, please contact Officer Jessica McIntosh at 912.287.2921 or 912.614.1928. If no answer, please leave a message.

The Uniform Patrol Section of the Waycross Police Department is the largest and most visible section in the police department. Uniform Patrol Officers are the primary responders to emergency incidents, calls for service, and carry out the majority of custodial arrests concerning criminal activity. Captain Benji Hersey commands the Uniform Patrol Section which consists of 4 shifts, each supervised by a Lieutenant.

Captain Cox has direct supervision over Unit Commanders with the rank of lieutenant. The lieutenants supervise the watch commanders or sergeants of the four shifts. The sergeants directly supervise the individual officers assigned to their shifts. The Watch Commanders directly supervise (33) thirty-three uniformed police officers.

The Uniform Patrol Section also consists of specialized units. These specialized units are the Community Response Team, Bicycle Unit, K-9 Unit, and Traffic Safety Team.

The Community Response Team has the primary function of responding to community concerns as a whole squad instead of responding individually to calls for service. The CRT’s primary objective is to improve the quality of life for neighborhood residents affected as a whole as it relates to neighborhood criminal activity and quality of life issues. The CRT solicits citizen involvement through community meetings, community walks, and individual relationships developed over time. They use this information to determine what type of police activity is needed in a particular area. The complaints received and acted on come from citizens who may otherwise not seek police assistance for various reasons.

The Uniform Patrol Section of the Waycross Police Department is supplemented by the Police K-9 Unit. Each K-9 is assigned to a K-9 handler. The K-9’s primary functions are tracking criminal suspects, searching for evidence, searching for drugs, officer protection, and in the most serious of circumstances, K-9 apprehension of fleeing suspects deemed a risk to the public if escape is accomplished.

The Traffic Safety Team’s primary function is the reduction of accidents, prevent death and injury, and gaining voluntary compliance with the state traffic laws. The Traffic Safety Team carries out this function through enforcement activities in areas of concern, identified through data collection, mapping of accidents, citizens’ concerns, and personal observation by the traffic safety team members. Emphasis is placed on child restraint and seatbelt enforcement along with speed enforcement due to their direct relationship to the number of injuries and deaths relating to motor vehicle accidents.