Warner Robins Police Department hosts last town hall meeting of the year

WARNER ROBINS — The Warner Robins Police Department hosted its last Town Hall of the year on Tuesday, Dec. 16, informing attendees on how they are closing out 2025 and how they will continue to address crime in the upcoming year.

Attendees took the opportunity to voice their concerns, particularly about traffic. 

Traffic concerns

At the beginning of the town hall, a concerned citizen mentioned witnessing multiple drivers running red lights, including one instance in which a car almost hit her. She shared that she believes this mostly occurs in the Carl Vinson Parkway and the extension of the Elberta Road area. 

Assistant Chief Todd Edwards addressed the citizen’s concern. He shared that as the area grew, jurisdictions are not “concurrent.” 

The citizen also expressed concern about the increase in housing, and worries about how the police department will handle the growth. 

Edwards said they have their challenges, but they aim to offer the highest level of service. He shared that between the department’s traffic unit and HEAT unit, they can target traffic issues. 

Police Chief Wayne Fisher shared statistics, saying in 2024, the police department responded to 75,036 calls for service. As of Nov. 30, 2025, they have responded to 77,054, according to Fisher. He expects approximately 4,000 additional calls by the end of the year. 

Looking back to previous years, as staff have increased, calls for service have gone up due to their proactive approach, Fisher shared. He then mentioned that last year they began engaging with the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety to address speeding, DUI, distracted driving, and seatbelt violations. 

In 2024, the police department issued 9,732 citations, according to Fisher. So far, they have issued 9,629 as of Nov.30, 2025. He then compared it to their 2023 statistics, when the police department had fewer staff; they issued 5,889 citations, according to Fisher. 

In DUI enforcement, the police department had 275 DUIs in 2023 and 389 in 2024. So far in 2025, they are at 368 DUIs, according to Fisher. 

“[Officers are] out there and they’re making impacts. Warner Robins is a rough time for traffic,” he said. 

Fisher shared that they have conducted several traffic flow studies within the community. They have used traffic-related technologies to evaluate speed in those communities. He said they have addressed those issues through professional services, such as the department’s real-time crime center and the traffic unit. The department has also installed mobile signs equipped with radar to let drivers know their speed. 

“We have increased our enforcement point beyond just what we’ve done in the past and employed different techniques and tactics on the way,” he said. 

Edwards shared that they are relying on the community and technology to improve their approach to issues. He told the citizen that she is also helping the department identify issues. Edwards also explained speed enforcement, saying that just because it is a roadway with pavement does not mean officers can enforce speed limits. He said roadways must meet specific criteria set by the Department of Transportation.

The citizen also mentioned school cameras, saying they are a great addition to keeping children safe. Edwards said cameras help with voluntary compliance and monitoring school zones. This also allows officers to monitor other areas. 

“Warner Robins is a growing place, it’s a thriving place, it’s a wonderful place to live and work. We want to keep it safe, we want to keep people safe and that’s through traffic enforcement and traffic management. I will tell you they are making a difference,” he said.

According to Edwards, there are approximately five offices assigned for traffic enforcement. However, he said they are trying to move forward and are working as hard as they can. He also shared that they are aiming to hire more officers to give the department more manpower to be in more places. 

Edwards said their goal is to change behavior through voluntary compliance. He urges people to remember they are in control of their vehicles. 

Vehicle break-ins concern

Later in the meeting, a citizen spoke about vehicle break-ins occurring in her neighborhood. She asked the panel whether there had been an increase in vehicle break-ins and whether there has been patrolling in neighborhoods. 

Fisher said statistically, it would fall under the larceny and theft category. 

According to Fisher, in 2024, they had 1,953 larceny reports. So far this year, there have been 1,544 reports, indicating a reduction of 409 larcenies. 

Major Lee Van Osdol also answered the citizen’s question related to patrolling. He said they strive to increase their presence in different neighborhoods, especially when they have heard issues. He shared that most entering auto cases are in apartment complexes. He said the average suspect isn’t breaking windows; they’re pulling car doors. 

He explained that during each shift, the officer does an end-of-shift report, which gives the command staff a synopsis of major calls they received. It also includes a list of neighborhoods or apartment complexes the officer rode through. Van Osdol said, unfortunately, it is tricky to catch entering auto suspects unless they catch them getting into the vehicle. 

“We are trying to increase our presence in the areas that we believe this is going on,” he said. 

Fisher then explained that they divide crimes between Group A and Group B, which is a society-based crimes. 

He shared that there has been an increase in crimes in group B, which includes trespassing and curfew violations. Fisher said those bad actors are in the process of breaking into a vehicle or committing another crime. 

Van Osdol encouraged people to call 911, since it is the best route for public service calls. 

Addressing drug issue in the city

Another citizen stepped up to the podium to ask the panel about the drug issue in the city. 

Fisher said it would be disingenuous to say the city does not have a drug or gang problem. He shared that the police department has been aggressive in their narcotics investigation, especially focusing on fentanyl. 

So far, there have been over 79 drug-related arrests, according to Fisher. Over 13 vehicles and 50 firearms have also been seized. Other statistics shared include:

• Seized approximately 81 pounds of marijuana and THC contraband
• Seized approximately 20 pounds of methamphetamine
• Seized 1.95 pounds of cocaine or crack cocaine
• Seized 2.3 ounces of MDMA
• Finally, the police department has seized 16.9 pounds of heroin and fentanyl.

Fisher said this equates to the narcotics investigation unit saving approximately 3,742,131 people from committing overdose. The population of Houston County is approximately 186,000.

Lieutenant Neal Hill then shared more insight into how the department will address the narcotics problem within the community. 

Hill clarified there is no particular area, social class or specific person; drugs are everywhere. He shared that his unit consists of seven officers, and they also rely heavily on the community. 

“We do our best to address it, but like I tell people as well, they’ve had the war on drugs before I was born and they’re still out there,” he said. 

Programs for residents with disabilities

The panel then answered questions online, since the meeting was livestreamed. One question was about current programs for residents with disabilities. The citizen said the police department does not have Project Lifesaver, which is designed for people who are prone to life-threatening behavior due to autism, Alzheimer’s and other cognitive conditions. 

Fisher said it is a serious concern within the community. He shared that, in the past, some programs were integrated with the Houston County 911 system, but have since been removed due to significant technological changes. 

Fisher believes the best approach is to invest in a program in Houston County for all agencies. He said he would be open to implementing a program and encouraged the citizen to contact him to discuss further. 

Closing out the meeting, Fisher said he hopes a partnership with the community will strengthen the police department. To watch the full meeting, click here.