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Phil Summers began his law enforcement career in 1975 with the Walker County Sheriff’s Office. For the past 31years, he has served the citizens of Northwest Georgia in the position of Deputy Sheriff, Investigator, Captain of Detectives, and has served as Chief Deputy for three administrations before elected as Sheriff of Catoosa County in 1991. During Sheriff Summers’ administration Catoosa County has seen a tremendous change in law enforcement involving a focus of community policing; has realized a reduction in crime and more community and school programs than ever before.
Sheriff Summers implemented a county merit system for the employees and new policies and procedures to assure that employees have a right to employment rather than serving at the will of the Sheriff. He was instrumental in the design, development, and implementation of the current Catoosa County super enhanced 911 system. Today, Sheriff Summers supervises the 911 system which was responsible for dispatching more than 81,000 calls for service in 2004. He has achieved and maintained an average 7-minute response time on calls for service the past 14 years. The Sheriff’s Office has also achieved a consistent conviction rate of 98-100% each term of court during his administration.
Sheriff Summers was also responsible for the design and construction of the new Catoosa County Detention Center which was completed within budget. Additional programs which have been established under Sheriff Summers’ administration which involves a Drug Investigation Unit, implementation of Child Abuse and Molestation Team, Domestic Violence Investigative Unit,
Catoosa County Crime Stoppers Program, Senior Citizen Call & Visit Program, Canine Program, Neighborhood Watch Program, and Catoosa County Stocking Full of Love Program and Benevolence Fund which provides toys for needy children and support needs of families in our local area.
Sheriff Summers is a strong supporter of education and provides financial and educational needs for students and teachers of Catoosa County. As a school system partner, the Sheriff’s Office provided more than 1,100 hours of educational programs and more than $267,000 in financial support to Catoosa County Schools in 2004. By implementing programs such as D.A.R.E. and other drug education programs, school resource officers in the High Schools and the Middle Schools, School Zone Patrol Officers, Alcohol & Drug Awareness Program and the Canine Program, the Sheriff’s office has successfully reduced crime and drug activity within our schools.
In the area of finance during Sheriff Summers’ administration, the Sheriff’s Office has generated more than $2 million in revenue each year to assist in offsetting the cost of law enforcement for the citizens of Catoosa County. In the past six years alone, the Sheriff’s Office has received more than $2.6 million by successfully acquiring state and federal grants. Sheriff Summers has served as a career law enforcement officer and has always promised to provide professional, courteous law enforcement while continuing to develop community policing programs that will grow with our county.
A commitment to provide services in the most cost-effective manner without sacrificing the quality of law enforcement has always been the top priority under Sheriff Summers’ administration.