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The Stephens County Sheriff’s Office Special Response Team (SRT) is a collateral duty unit staffed by deputies from the Operations and Criminal Investigations Divisions on an on-call basis. Unit membership is a voluntary, extra duty assignment. SRT is comprised of individuals highly dedicated to their duties and take pride in being the last line of defense for the Stephens County Sheriff’s Office.
The mission of SRT is to handle high-risk operations in a manner that reduces the chance of violence, injury or death. The unit is activated to train each month and once a year for a full week with specific training for its duties. SRT handles unusual operational activities including hostage incidents, barricaded suspects, armed barricaded suspects, service of high risk warrants, civil disturbances, suicidal subjects, mental subjects, man-hunt operations, sniper attacks, VIP protection and any other high-risk tactical incident.
Canine (K-9) Unit
The Stephens County Sheriff’s Office takes great pride in its K-9 Unit because of the proficiency and ability of the animals working in partnership with their handlers. Our K-9 Unit works closely with the Criminal Investigations Division and the Traffic Unit during special calls for service on a daily basis.
Our K-9 units are dual purpose single purpose dogs used for the detection of narcotics and tracking. In addition to their regular duties, the K-9 unit is utilized for a variety of public relations and community outreach functions. The dog is assigned solely to his or her handler and lives with them at their home, creating a strong bond that ensures a solid working partnership between the two.
Traffic Unit
Through aggressive education and enforcement efforts, the goal of the Traffic Unit is to reduce traffic collisions, injuries and fatalities by focusing on the factors that cause them. Some of the driving behaviors and factors that directly contribute to these are speeding, driving while under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs, aggressive driving and lack of attention while driving. The unit also investigates vehicle related accidents and operates DUI (driving under the influence) checkpoints, aimed at deterring impaired drivers, and vehicle safety checkpoints.
The Traffic Unit utilizes various forms of speed measuring devices to identify and apprehend all other of traffic violations. Deputies in the Traffic Unit enforce all of the traffic laws with particular emphasis on speeding in school zones, pedestrian violations, speeding and right of way. The Unit also participates in a number of programs intended to prevent accidents and make the streets safer including the “Click It or Ticket program” and special focus on aggressive driving.
School Resource Officer
(SRO)
Program
Sheriff Shirley and his command staff have committed to work closely with the Stephens County Board of Education to evaluate how to maximize the safety of Stephens County’s most valuable treasures, our youth. The School Resource Officer (S.R.O.) Program which provides for a deputy sheriff to be assigned to every school in Stephens County.
School Resource Officers protect over 4,000+ students and staff within the school systems 6 campuses. The SRO deputies provide direct service to the schools which include campus safety inspections, classroom presentations, criminal investigations, student and parent conferences, along with a variety of other activities including the traditional law enforcement duties and security. These deputies also provide C.H.A.M.P.S. program instruction at all of the elementary schools in Stephens County.
Appalachian Regional Drug Enforcement Office (ARDEO)
The Appalachian Regional Drug Enforcement Office is a Multi-agency Narcotics Unit that serves Habersham, Lumpkin, Towns, Union, White, Banks, Rabun, and Stephens Counties. The ARDEO is a division of the Georgia Bureau of Investigations and supervised by G.B.I. Assistant Special Agent in Charge (ASAC). Some of the duties required of ARDEO Agents include, but are not limited to:
Investigative activities that constitute Violation of the Georgia Controlled Substance Act and apprehend violators through investigative techniques such as surveillance, overt and covert operations, and execution of search warrants.
Gather and document criminal intelligence through the use of confidential informants, concerned citizens, and anonymous tips.
Write affidavits for arrest, search and investigative warrants and execute said warrants in accordance with applicable laws.
Receive and maintain evidence in accordance with law.
