There appears

to be a difference of opinion in Fairburn about the city's police protection.

During the

last City Council meeting, a resident and the city's administrator took

opposite sides in the debate.

Pat Chamber

told the council that she thinks the department is understaffed and

that police officers in the city are making less than unskilled workers

in nearby factories.

Fairburn's

reputation among other police departments is also suffering, she said.

"They

let Fairburn hire and train them and then they [other police departments]

hire them," she said.

Chambers

said she hopes the City Council realizes how serious the implications

of an understaffed police department are.

"It's

not a small town anymore. There's big city crime in Fairburn,"

she said.

She recounted

how she left her office at 1 p.m. one day and heard the sounds of gunshots,

and she beseeched the council to provide more money and incentives for

the officers to stay in town.

But City

Administrator Tony Cox said the town is working on the problem and disputed

that the staff is severely understaffed.

Cox said

this year's budget calls for a 10 percent increase for police officers

and said the department is down only one officer. The police budget

adopted by the council is $1.36 million for operations and $106,600

for capital equipment for 34 employees.

He said that

turnover has not been as bad since Chief Mackie Carson was hired. Cox

said the city is constantly looking at incentives and other ways to

keep the Police Department at full staff.