In Georgia, what happens to police officers arrested for drunk driving (DUI) can change a lot according to the police department they work for. The last five years, 290 POST-certified officers in Georgia have been arrested for DUI. This brings focus on how irregular it can be when these cases are dealt with.

Georgia POST’s Job

The Peace Officers Standards and Training Council (POST) in Georgia sets training standards for all policeman in the state. This includes street cops, sheriffs’ deputies and prison guards as well as probationary officers. The POST is also charged with looking into any indiscretions and deciding whether an officer’s certificate should be cancelled. Should it go down this road, that officer would not be able to work as a policeman in the state of Georgia.

Disciplinary Actions

Chris Harvey, Deputy Executive Director of POST states that there can be many reasons why an officer might lose their certification – usage of excessive force, sexual harassment or being untruthful are among these reasons. However, a DUI arrest alone is not enough to take away an officer’s certificate.

“This council has decided that if an officer was involved in a DUI incident, usually they would get probation, pay a fine and may have to attend drug or alcohol awareness training”, said Harvey “after which they continue their career. “

Among the 290 officers who were arrested under DUI charges over the last five years, 30 lost their POST certificates. The others – all 260 of them – continued working within law enforcement.

Decisions by Employer

Further, actions against offending officers are left up to where they’re employed. An inquiry found that what happened next differed massively among law enforcement officers who’d been arrested for DUI, and even within the same agency many escaped official reprimand beyond probation during which they continued working and receiving their salaries.

28% willingly gave up their posts with some coming back to the force but in various roles in different organizations. 18% were fired. In 12 cases, involved police took early retirement right after getting arrested. Some were demoted or given non-officer posts within their departments while others saw a reduction in their pay for the next year – this punishment was usually meted out to prison guards.

Serious Cases worth noting

In April of 2023, a sheriff from Gwinnett County, under influence at the time, drove his patrol vehicle crashing into mailboxes and then fled from scene. He was later fired and lost his POST certification; locals whose mailboxes were damaged in the crash weren’t told that a policeman had been involved.

An Atlanta Police Department officer was found having consumed alcohol when he crashed his vehicle in March of that year. At first, he pretended not be fluent in English but spoke it perfectly soon after; he got out of hospital where he’d been taken for blood tests but later found and also arrested. Despite this series of events, his rank as operations sergeant remains unchanged pending an internal investigation.

Audience Reaction

These incidents have left residents shocked and asking questions about why those enforcing laws aren’t facing serious consequences themselves. “An officer doing something like that has left me astounded”, said one local resident about discovering an involved police man’s identity “they’re supposed to be enforcing the law. They arrest people for drunk driving and then get off lightly themselves – it’s astounding. “

Legislation Required

Harvey pointed out that until new rules are brought into effect there is no way to unify how police departments react or punish DUI arrests or convictions among their officers. “The fact that a policeman may be caught driving under influence for alcohol is a very real possibility and it has to be considered,”: said Harvey: “this is something many people do. “

The Consequences in Everyday Lives

While these officers often face short term punishment, the effects of drunk driving on victims can last a lifetime. Jeanine Melvin, 50 years old and grandmother, was critically injured when she had a head-on collision with a drunk driver. This accident left her to deal with permanent injuries along with ever growing medical bills – her life took an abrupt turn after the accident.

“I went from earning for my family to being taken care of by them,” said Melvin “because of somebody else’s mistake I’m sacrificing time with my family, I’ve lost out on my livelihood and losing days as they come. “
Melvin’s account highlights the serious consequences faced by victims of drunk driving incidents. It also underscores the need for stricter enforcement and accountability framework for policemen who’ve been involved in such cases.

Final words

The different forms of repercussions that policeman meet after being arrested for DUI in Georgia highlight the absence of standardized disciplinary actions. Although few officers are meted substantial retributions; others continue working without facing major penalties in consequence! Legal action may be required to ensure uniform and impartial treatment for all drunken policemen involved highlighting that no one is above law.