AUGUSTA, Ga. () – This initiative is an element of Sheriff Eugene Brantley’s strategy to strengthen the connection between the sheriff’s office and local downtown businesses.

Part of the new Downtown Safety Plan is to have at least two deputies on each downtown block of Broad street from 9pm-3:30am.

This plan has been fully implemented, and one business owner says he has already seen the impacts.

“I think it’s pretty amazing to see how this is almost an overnight difference, in 6 months to have this difference of policing and the initiative that they’re trying to do and how they’re going about it is pretty amazing and you don’t see this very often,” said Dylan Pope, Augusta Business Owner.

There was a chance for business owners to be able to meet with and ask members of the sheriff’s office any questions they had.

Pope says it’s imperative for not only the sheriff’s office but also the Augusta commission to speak and listen to business owners and residents.

“I think that’s what we’ve all been talking about, the lack of communication, the lack of transparency in the past and to see that the commission wants to have these meetings, to see that the sheriff wants to have these meetings, it goes to show that we’re trying to make these steps in the right direction for a better downtown,” Pope said.

Pope continued to say, “We all want a better downtown, and we all want downtown to grow in a positive and safe way and Sheriff Brantley and his staff have definitely given that route and have already made big changes in the last 6 months.” 

Statistics show crime has decreased tremendously since Sheriff Brantley took office but he says there are always things they can improve.

“I think you could hear that what we’ve down thus far is better than what was previously being done. We still have some things we have to tweak and work on to continue to make downtown safer,” said Eugene Brantley, Richmond County Sheriff.

The sheriff’s office plans to have these meetings every 4 months.