The Bibb County Sheriff’s Office along with other Sheriff’s Offices throughout the state of Georgia received orders from the Governor’s Office to assist in the State’s response to the outbreak of the COVID-19, coronavirus.
The Governor has placed a great deal of confidence in the Office of the Sheriff. Accordingly, Bibb deputies will use a high degree of discretion during the enforcement of the Governor’s latest orders. Members of the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office will first be serving in a public awareness capacity so that we can help with the continuing efforts in the slowing the spread of the coronavirus.
In the Executive Order it states that the Sheriff’s Offices are authorized to enforce the closure of businesses, establishments, corporations, non-profit corporations, or organizations in accordance with the Executive Order. To enforce this order, Bibb deputies will take steps to provide notice, in doing so they will give a reasonable amount of time and give businesses the opportunity to comply, prior to mandating closure.
Sheriff’s deputies will be making every effort to make contact with gatherings in excess of 10 people, where six feet of separation has not occurred. In such instances, deputies will be taking responsible steps to provide notice & educate potential violators prior to taking any further law enforcement actions.
In cases of religious services, funerals or other similar gatherings at single locations which do not adhere to separation practices, reasonable disbursement directives will be given prior to further official law enforcement action.
Deputies will not be stopping anyone operating a motor vehicle, or otherwise moving about, in order to determine whether a person is an essential worker or is traveling to a location considered under the governor’s order as essential. However, the fact that individuals may be lurking in the vicinity of closed businesses or wandering in neighborhoods will be considered suspicious and those individuals may be stopped and questioned.
Bibb County Sheriff David Davis said, “It is important that everyone follows the directives within Governor Kemp’s Emergency Order. As always, our deputies will be out on the front lines addressing the COVID-19 response. Working together as a community we will get through this unprecedented crisis.”