Grovetown, Ga. – Grovetown Police Chief Jamey Kitchens is calling for a statewide law enforcement retirement plan in Georgia, an initiative that he believes could improve recruitment and retention for local police departments across the state.

Currently, Georgia is one of the few states in the U.S. that does not offer a statewide retirement plan for law enforcement officers. Kitchens, who is approaching three decades of service in law enforcement, argues that this lack of a comprehensive retirement system leaves many officers with limited benefits after they retire.

“The state of Georgia doesn’t have a state law enforcement retirement,” Kitchens said. “I don’t mean just state law enforcement. I’m talking about law enforcement in general. The reason I brought this up is that every state that touches Georgia does.” Kitchens noted that this discrepancy has been a longstanding issue, one that has often been dismissed when brought to the attention of lawmakers.

Despite the challenges, Kitchens remains hopeful. “We aren’t reinventing the wheel,” he stated. “Go to any of these states and ask them how they’re doing it.” He points to neighboring states, many of which have successfully implemented retirement plans for law enforcement officers, as examples Georgia could follow.

District 125 Representative Gary Richardson is also backing the push for a state-level retirement plan. “I think the average citizen is not even aware that there’s not a long-term retirement plan, a state-wide retirement plan,” Richardson remarked. He has expressed a desire to understand why Georgia has not yet moved forward with such a system, questioning the hold-up.

The issue of retirement benefits is particularly important as law enforcement agencies across Georgia struggle to recruit and retain qualified officers. The Grovetown Police Department, like many others, is currently working to fill vacant positions. Chief Kitchens believes that offering a more robust retirement plan could be a key factor in attracting new recruits and encouraging existing officers to stay in the profession longer.

“There has never been a better time to come to the table and say, ‘What can we do to recruit these folks and bring some back?’” Kitchens explained. “Offer up something that says, ‘OK, I can do 25 years, and I can still retire as a young person and go do something else if I want to.’”

Georgia’s current retirement option for law enforcement officers, the Peace Officer Annuity and Benefit Fund, provides a modest $950 per month after 30 years of service. However, many officers feel that this amount is insufficient given the demanding nature of their work and the sacrifices they make over the years.

The Georgia Sheriff’s Association has acknowledged the need for a comprehensive retirement plan but emphasized that funding is a significant barrier to its implementation. While the Peace Officer Annuity and Benefit Fund serves as a retirement option, the association has made it clear that a more extensive system would require substantial financial support from the state.

As the legislative session continues, Representative Richardson remains committed to advancing the conversation around law enforcement retirement benefits. Both Richardson and Chief Kitchens are hopeful that their efforts will bring about change, providing Georgia’s law enforcement officers with the retirement security they deserve.

Governor Brian Kemp’s office was contacted for comment on the issue, but as of the time of publication, there had been no response.