News        from ABAC

Michael D. Chason Director of Public Relations ABAC 30 -- 2802 Moore Highway Tifton, GA 31793-2601 Phone 229-391-5055 Fax 229-391-5056 mchason@abac.edu

Richard Darby (left), Director of State Certification, and Lou Dekmar (right), President of the Georgia Chiefs Association, presented ABAC Police Chief Bryan Golden and ABAC Police Officer Kim Scarborough with a plaque commemorating the department’s recertification.

IMMEDIATE JANUARY 24, 2005

ABAC POLICE DEPARTMENT GETS RECERTIFICATION

TIFTON—The Police Department at Abraham Baldwin College has completed its five-year recertification process.

“The recertification serves as a mechanism for law enforcement agencies to make sure policies and procedures are up to date,” said Bryan Golden, Chief of the ABAC Police Department.

“There is a checklist of 109 standards that have to be adhered to, although very few agencies have to go through all 109 of these sections. For instance, there are procedures dealing with jails, but since ABAC does not have a jail on site, we did not have to deal with that section,” Golden said.

There were some new requirements that had to be met this time around that were not evaluated five years ago. One of these requirements was in regards to racial profiling, and the other was a new standard for evaluation of terrorist targets.

This is the second time the ABAC Police Department has been certified, but to Golden this time around was more important.

“The first time we were certified, I had just started in the position. It means more this time because it shows that we have been doing things the right way for the past five years,” Golden said.

Golden also praised ABAC police officer Kim Scarborough. Scarborough is the state certification manager for the ABAC Police Department.

“She kept things organized and running smoothly. She helped the assessors in their evaluation and made sure everything was on the right track,” Golden said.

State agencies are made up of police departments, sheriff’s offices and campus police. Golden said there are 92 of these state agencies that are certified. The ABAC Police Department has someone on duty 24 hours a day every day of the year.

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