Lee, Dougherty County law enforcement receive checks from community members

ALBANY — Law enforcement departments across Lee and Dougherty county got some “Back the Blue” love in the form of $975 checks last week.

The funds were collected during the annual Back the Blue 5K event on July 29, where about 80 participants ran to raise money and show support for local law enforcement agencies.

The organizers raised $7,800 that was dispersed evenly among eight agencies: the Albany Police Department, Dougherty County Police Department, Dougherty County Sheriff’s Office, Albany Fire Department, Dougherty County EMS, Leesburg Police Department, Lee County Sheriff’s Office as well as Lee County Fire and EMS, Tom Gieryic, the co-organizer of the event said.

Gieryic began his efforts to support law enforcement about seven years ago, he said. His goal was to raise money for police officers to increase community interactions, especially with children.

“It teaches children that cops aren’t only there when something bad happens; you know they’re there to protect you,” he said.

These kinds of community outreach programs help to procure items that aren’t funded in the departments’ regular budget, Gieryic said. There are some events to foster this positive interaction, but not nearly enough.

Livingston Fulton, the 5K’s co-organizer, got involved and began formulating the annual running event.

The duo, along with community support, also has raised money to begin funding a program called Project Lifesaver for APD, Lee Sheriff’s Department and Dougherty Sheriff’s Department.

It’s a search and rescue program designed for “at-risk” individuals who are prone to wandering off, which can be life threatening, according to the Project Lifesaver site. The program provides timely responses to these individuals who often wander off due to cognitive conditions — often children with autism or adults with Alzheimer’s or dementia, Gieryic said.

These people wear a bracelet or anklet that is a transmitter, which sends signals to police department receivers. Recovery time for agencies with this program is 30 minutes or less, he said.

It saves a lot of lives, Gieryic said. The program’s site lists 4,190 rescued.

“The bad thing about the program is it’s underutilized,” he said. “The departments aren’t really sure how to get the word out.”

Most of the money raised comes from the support of local businesses. Gieryic said the officers are always thankful for the efforts.

“First responders are just like our military, just like our teachers — they are overlooked 99% of the time until you need them,” he said. “It’s just good to be able to put some positivity out there and let them know that the community does indeed appreciate what they do.”

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