The defunding of public safety offices has been a hot button issue here in the United States.
And thanks for joining us for 41nbc news at 6:00.
I'm shelby coates.
Tucker sargent will join us shortly.
Our top story tonight at 6: protesters around the country are asking their local governments to consider defunding police departments to help decrease police brutality incidents.
We decided to check funding numbers here in macon-bibb.
We found out the sheriff's office was allotted 49-million dollars in next year's budget.
Sheriff david davis says this money goes toward making sure officers have at least 40 hours of training each year, and the fudning gives deputies proper equipment, as well as protective gear.
Sheriff davis says defunding is not an option for the bibb county sheriff's office.
As far as talking about defunding law enforcement or defunding the sheriff's department is a non-starter for me because we perform an essential service and this community needs us to be out there to stop the bad people from terrorizing and harming this community.
Sheriff davis says defunding would lead to major cuts in the number of officers and community resources.
By the way, the macon-bibb county commissioners did reduce public safety funding by 1-point-3 million dollars, to respond to the covid-19 pandemic, but commissioners say there are has no plans to defund law enforcement in the future.
Fort valley public safety director lawrence spurgeon... is also weighing in.
He says police around the nation ... are being used after the gutting of social services.
Last week he posted on facebook saying quote ... "the police have ended up... being left to do jobs ... that have to be done.
We now ask police to be mental health experts... social workers, and school security professionals.
MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT)-- The defunding of public safety offices has been a hot button issue in the US.