Poulan, Georgia
Template:POV Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox settlement Poulan is a city in Worth County, Georgia, United States. The population was 780 in 2020. Poulan is part of the Albany, Georgia metropolitan area.
Poulan is notable for its police department's speed trap tactics from 2006 to 2012.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2009, Poulan's small police force generated nearly $900,000 from fines and fees, a number comparable to a city 30 times its size and due to the charges and fees being more than most cities. The per capita revenue from fines and fees is $1,019.15.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
History
[edit]The Georgia General Assembly incorporated Poulan as a town in 1889.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The city was named for Judge W. A. Poulan.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The remnants of what was once a bank and pharmacy are still standing on Broad Street.<ref name="City of Poulan">Template:Cite web</ref> Poulan is also home to the only two historical registered properties in Worth County; the Poulan Library and Possum Poke.<ref name="City of Poulan"/> Poulan was settled in 1877 along the Brunswick and Albany railroad.<ref name="City of Poulan"/>
Speed trap
[edit]The Poulan Police Department has been featured in numerous articles by investigative journalists, most notably for its speed trap tactics since 2009.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The city attorney; former Albany, Georgia mayor Tommy Coleman<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> has repeatedly defended the enforcement tactics, as well as the Poulan and Warwick Police Departments.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="worsley">Template:Cite web</ref>
Between 2008 and 2012, Poulan is estimated to have received $1,676,402.80 (a per-capita amount of $2,012.49) from their Police Department's tactics inside the Poulan city limits on U.S. Route 82 (GA State Route 520).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Residents of Poulan have publicly voiced their concern over their police department's tactics multiple times with department leadership specifically denying quotas for summons and citations for traffic related offenses.<ref name=speed>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In August 2014, a local resident of Poulan placed a sign that warned drivers traveling on U.S. Route 82 (GA State Route 520) of the speed trap tactics. A local NBC/ABC affiliate, WALB, featured a story on the resident who claimed that Poulan Police Officers were given specific quotas. Poulan Police Chief Larry Whisenant,<ref name="police">Template:Cite web</ref> explicitly refuted this claim and denied that any officers were given quotas<ref name="speed" /> for speeding citations. In February 2015 the sign was stolen from its placement along U.S. Route 82 (GA State Route 520).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In December 2023, local NBC/ABC affiliate WALB produced a report about the Poulan Police Department and showcased the speed trap tactics that the Police Department continues to use.<ref name="traps">Template:Cite web</ref> The report calculated that the Poulan Police Department produced more income than the cost of the agency to the city's budget.<ref name="traps" /> Poulan Police commanders were specifically asked for documents showing the amount of income received from speeding related citations. According to the article, Poulan "declined to comment".<ref name="traps" /> According to Georgia law, a county or municipal law enforcement agency's budget may not exceed 35% of its annual budget from speeding related fines.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In July 2024, local NBC/ABC affiliate WALB produced another report on both the Poulan and Warwick Police Departments.<ref name="worsley" /> City attorney Tommy Coleman defended the City of Poulan and the Police Department in an interview, claiming that Poulan's budget percentage from speed enforcement was at 22% for the years 2023 to 2024.<ref name="worsley" /> Worth County Sheriff Don Whitaker also defended the City of Poulan in an interview he participated in for the report.<ref name="worsley" /> Disturbingly, Worth County officials (including a member of the County Commission) and City of Poulan officials, admitted that Poulan required the revenue from speed related citations because their tax base was so small.<ref name="worsley" />
Controversy
[edit]In December 2007, then Police Chief Angie Schlosser, was fired from the Poulan Police Department after the city claimed she had performed an illegal background investigation into a city council member.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> While Schlosser denied the allegations, she stated that there were concerns about the background and supposed criminal past of the council member.<ref name="Poulan police chief fired">Template:Cite web</ref> Despite the seriousness of the allegation, Schlosser was never charged with a crime, and no outside investigation was conducted.<ref name="Poulan police chief fired"/>
In September 2012, then Poulan Mayor, Dustin Grubbs, was arrested in Dougherty County and charged with felony possession of various narcotic prescription pills<ref name="wallace">Template:Cite web</ref> including oxycodone, oxycontin, and two different mixtures of Vicodin in different dosages with a total prescription pill count of 57. The arrest showcased the continued synthetic opioid epidemic in the United States.<ref name="wallace" /> Despite the charges, Grubbs remained the Mayor of Poulan until his death in October 2020.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In August 2017, Rosemary Jones, a police officer employed by Poulan Police, was arrested and charged by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (along with her husband) with two counts of felony cruelty to children in the first degree, two counts of aggravated assault, and one count of felony false imprisonment.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Their arrest made national<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and international news.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Despite the arrest, Jones was retained by the Poulan Police Department, and eventually promoted to captain.<ref name="police" />
COVID-19
[edit]During the COVID-19 epidemic, Worth County Sheriff Don Whitaker deputized members of the Poulan Police Department so that county ordinances specifically related to COVID-19 regulations could be enforced by Poulan Police Officers inside the city limits of Poulan, GA.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Geography
[edit]Poulan is located at Template:Coord (31.513739, -83.791041).<ref name="GR1">Template:Cite web</ref> According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.7 square miles (4.3 kmTemplate:Sup), all land.
Demographics
[edit]As of the census<ref name="GR2" /> of 2000, there were 946 people, 365 households, and 273 families residing in the city. By 2020, its population declined to 760.
Notable people
[edit]- Howell Heflin (1921–2005), politician
- Chase Osborn (1860–1949), politician