This summer Chief Mike Broadhead and the Statesboro Police Department launched an innovative pilot program called “Roadway Assist.” This program utilizes two paid interns, who drive a work truck with a Roadway Assist logo as well as a smaller Statesboro Police Department logo.
This vehicle will not be confused with a patrol car, as it is a white full size work truck with equipment body and a small SPD logo. The truck is also outfitted with an amber directional light bar.
"We envision this program working similarly to the GA DOT Champs Program used on the Interstates, except our program will be confined to the city limits. The truck will be outfitted with traffic cones, a few gallons of fuel, a floor jack, etc. in order to provide assistance to stranded or disabled motorists." said Statesboro Police Chief Mike Broadhead.
Benefits for the Student Interns
The two interns, Hunter Davis and Thomas Wideman, will primarily be deployed as a team, for 30 hours per week. They received training that focused on being safe around moving traffic, handling private property crashes, radio usage and de-escalation training.
The best part is it is a win-win for the interns, which are Criminal Justice majors and required an internship. They saw this as a great opportunity to complete their intern requirements while also getting paid doing it and gaining valuable street experience.
They seem to be really delighted about this program and using the opportunity to better work on skills that may be required while continuing the path of their choice under the Criminal Justice program.
Private Property Accidents
Each year, SPD officers respond to thousands of private property accidents which include parking lot accidents. The citizens involved in the accident need a report for their insurance company, however they do not need an police accident report. In Georgia motorists only need to complete an SR-13 form. The Roadway Assist team members have the SR-13 forms and can assist the motorists in completing the form.
As a responsible driver, you must never leave the scene of a private property or roadway accident prior to exchanging information with those involved, or those who have property that is damaged. The SR-13 form is one way to do that.
The Goal
The primary goal of this program is to free up police officers time with day to day situations such as mechanical breakdowns, roadway traffic calls, private property accidents, and other calls residing in traffic incidents inside the city limits.
"While we hope to provide exceptional service to our community with this program, it is really designed to save officer time from handling motorist assistance calls, crashes on private property, directing traffic around crash scenes, and waiting on tow trucks. This will return sworn officers to their zones in order to free up some patrol time. Throughout the summer we will be able to track the time spent on these activities, and determine if it is a viable way to free up patrol officers from some of the calls they are handling, that don’t require a sworn officer," said Chief Mike Broadhead.
Chief Broadhead will report back to the City Council at the end of the summer regarding the effectiveness of the program and potential “next steps.”