Civilians take non-emergency calls in Duluth, freeing police for critical duties

DULUTH, Ga. — A Gwinnett County city is now hiring civilians to respond to non-emergency calls, instead of police officers.

Channel 2 Gwinnett County Bureau Chief Matt Johnson explains how the new hires are freeing up officers to focus on fighting crime.

Some of the newest hires at the Duluth Police Department aren’t police officers at all, instead, they’re public safety ambassadors.

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The move makes Duluth the latest metro city to bring in civilians to help free up resources for officers.

“Every day you never know what you’re going to get into,” Carey LaFeve, public safety ambassador, said.

The former substitute teacher told Channel 2 Action News that after her kids went off to college, she didn’t know what she’d be doing. She never graduated from the police academy, but now she’s out on the streets as a Duluth Public Safety Ambassador.

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“I didn’t know it existed,” LaFeve said.

Duluth police say it’s been a game changer.

Cpl. Ted Sadowski said there are two public safety ambassadors on staff who help with traffic control, filing reports and community engagement.

“We’re able to bring in-house training in shorter time than the academy and get them on the street quicker, and we can hire them a lot quicker,” Sadowski told Johnson.

The ambassadors are paid employees with benefits. Duluth modeled their program after a similar one in Marietta over in Cobb County.

LaFeve told Channel 2 Action News she has a feeling more cities will follow suit.

“Hopefully we can expand the program in other counties and other counties will get them also,” she said.

There are plans to add more ambassadors in Duluth in the coming months.

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