Detention Officers Devin Butler & Ariana Cordova wearing the new vests. Also pictured are contraband items recovered during searches of jail cells.
Sheriff Scarbrough Provides Protection For His Detention Officers
Detention Officers face danger and challenges to their safety on the job. Inmates are creative and inventive in fashioning improvised stab weapons from everyday objects or materials-- even objects as simple as toothbrushes. They use these weapons to attack each other, and they also use them to attack officers.
The Tift County Sheriff’s Office in the past five years has confiscated more than 100 items that could have been used to hurt a fellow inmate or an officer. These items are recovered during periodic and random searches of the facility and cells. Also during the same last five years, there has been six Tift County Detention Officers assaulted by inmates during the course of their duties.
Sheriff Gene Scarbrough demonstrated his commitment to his staff by finding additional ways to protect his Detention Officers by purchasing vital equipment that would provide resistance to injury if assaulted. Sheriff Scarbrough authorized the purchase of Stab Resistance Body Armor to be utilized by the Jail Staff during their tour of duty.
Stab Resistance Body Armor contains body armor panels intended to provide protection against the types of knife and spike threats that detention officers face on a daily basis. The body armor is to assist with protecting areas of vital organs and help the detention officer during a confrontation to avoid serious injury. Stab Resistance Body Armor also has a level of ballistic protection as well; the vest model purchased has a level IlIa, rated for several common caliber handguns.
Sheriff Scarbrough used an innovative approach to purchasing the needed equipment, funds collected for inmate services that go beyond the responsibility of the Sheriff’s office to assist the inmate with amenities while in custody were used for acquiring the necessary Detention Officer protective gear without tax dollars.