State lawmakers, Georgia sheriffs denounce Perdue's GSP comments

ATLANTA - A day after former U.S. Sen. David Perdue made comments about the Georgia State Patrol no longer being considered "elite," two dozen state public safety leaders denounced his remarks.

"This is someone who is putting politics ahead of our law enforcement and that is simply wrong, and David Perdue should be embarrassed," said state Sen. John Albers, R-Roswell, the chairman of the Senate Public Safety Committee.

Sen. Albers was one of three lawmakers and more than twenty local sheriffs who signed their names to statements released by Gov. Brian Kemp's campaign decrying Perdue's words.  

"It's not considered the elite group that it always was," Perdue said Tuesday.  "When I was a kid growing up in Georgia, that's what all the county sheriff's deputies and everybody wanted to aspire to.  They wanted to become a state patrol.  This needs to be rebuilt."

Perdue is challenging the incumbent governor in the Republican primary.

"We've got to get our state patrol back to the elite level that it always was.  Somehow it's been left to deteriorate by a lack of leadership from the Governor's Office, in my opinion," said Perdue.

David Perdue speaks to reporters in Atlanta Tuesday, April 12, 2022 (FOX 5 Atlanta).

Gov. Kemp responded to Perdue's comments after signing the permit-less carry bill into law Tuesday afternoon.

"I'm used to being attacked, especially by people that don't have their own record to talk about, but I'm not going to allow people to attack the Georgia State Patrol.  They're elite men and women that have been serving our state admirably," said Gov. Kemp.

Perdue tried to clarify his statements on Twitter, writing:

"Our officers are strong, our Governor is weak. Our law enforcement heroes deserve better leadership at the top. Murders are up 40% in Atlanta. We have fewer troopers today than when Kemp was elected. People don’t feel safe. Governor, stop deflecting and start fixing the problem."

FOX 5 requested current and previous staffing data from the GSP, but they have not yet provided that information. In July 2021, however, a GSP Major testified during a hearing at the state Capitol that they had 760 troopers statewide, the lowest level he could ever recall.

Perdue compared that to the State of North Carolina, which according to their website, has 1,600 state troopers.  

Sen. Albers said that is an issue that lawmakers have worked with Gov. Kemp to address.

"We have continued to add new trooper schools, getting more incentives in order to retain and attract new troopers.  The leadership from the colonel of the state patrol to the governor and myself and others are working on that every day," said Sen. Albers.

The Georgia State Patrol said no one was available for an interview on this story.