• Police said that due to the growth of the area, including the river walk at the Earle May Boat Basin, it was time for officers to add an official patrol beyond the existing registration in the area .
• A local business owner said she would welcome a foot patrol downtown to improve safety.
• Watch the video to see the reaction of local officers.

BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:

Bainbridge Public Safety plans to add a new patrol area in light of the city’s growth.

“I think making their presence known is great,” said The Farmer’s Wife owner Ashley Sheffield.

Downtown will be the new patrol area for local officers. WTXL reporter AJ Douglas asked a business owner to share his thoughts on the change.

“As a leap of faith, we purchased this building five years ago. The rest is history,” Sheffield said.

Sheffield is the owner of The Farmer’s Wife boutique.

The store owner said she has seen strong growth in the area over a short period of time.

“I mean seeing the streets. You hardly find any parking. So seeing the streets filled with people and filled with cars,” according to Sheffield.

The latest figures from the U.S. Census Bureau estimate that more than 14,000 people live in Bainbridge. In 2010, there were more than 12,600 people.

“There was a time when the Bainbridge area was not as busy as it is today,” said Chief Redell Walton of Bainbridge Public Safety. “We have apartments and duplexes, all these people have moved into this area. Businesses have moved. back.”

Other patrol areas include the north, south and west areas of the city.

The city center area will extend to the Earle May Boat Basin. Earlier this year, police added an e-bike patrol in response to increased visits due to the city’s Chason Park expansion.

“The e-bike we added is primarily for this area and trail access. They (the trails) go on for miles,” Walton said.

Sheffield said she welcomed the addition. Explaining the presence of the police helps him feel safe.

“Their presence is somewhat known during the day, but it would be nice to do it a little more. It’s likely that just seeing them in uniform could deter someone from doing something bad,” Sheffield said .

Walton says the new patrol zoning will be added in the coming weeks.

Anyone with questions can contact Bainbridge Public Safety.