The Gordon County Sheriff's Office is one of the law enforcement agencies across Georgia that recently hosted Israeli officers as part of an information exchange program.Before they could host elite international law enforcement officials, members of the Gordon County Sheriff's Office needed to solve one problem: lunch.
The county was hosting 18 Israeli police officials last Tuesday as part of an information exchange program. Officers come to Georgia to learn from Peach State police; later, Georgia officers will go to Israel to learn how they keep the streets safe there.
Problem was, the Gordon County Sheriff's Office would need to host a meal around noon. That meant they needed to find a kosher restaurant.
"There's not any in Calhoun," Chief Deputy Robert Paris said.
So he said the department ordered chicken and potatoes from a joint in Marietta, Ga. After the meal, the event was a little bit easier.
Gordon County officials spent about four hours with the Israeli officers, explaining how they engage with the North Georgia community. They also hosted a question-and-answer session at which the Israeli officers asked about the laws in Georgia.
Tuesday's meeting marked the end of a two-week journey through Georgia for the Israeli officers as part of the Georgia International Law Enforcement Exchange Program. The group traveled the state, meeting with many agencies to learn how they handle different aspects of the job.
"We try to expose them to American law enforcement," said Robert Friedmann, a Georgia State criminology professor and director of the exchange program. "It means police departments; it means sheriff's offices. It means urban and rural, large and small."
The program began in 1992, back when Georgia law enforcement officials were preparing for the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. Since then it has expanded, with 20 U.S. states partnering with 20 countries.
Friedmann said the program is funded by companies and private donors and helps prepare officers to become leaders in their own units, because they have more ideas about how law enforcement agencies can run.
He wanted the Israeli officers to visit Gordon County because he said Sheriff Mitch Ralston's agency engages well with local residents. In particular, a group of about 40 local residents meets once a month to discuss how they can help.
"They support the Sheriff's Office," Paris said. "They support members of our staff if they have sickness, long-term disabilities. They do a lot of charities."
Next year, a group of officers from Georgia will fly to Israel. Paris said the Sheriff's Office is waiting to learn whether one of its officers will be in that group.
At the Tuesday question-and-answer session with the Israeli officers, they were more interested in Georgia's gun control laws than anything else, Paris said. Israel's policies on the matter are stricter.
They also were interested in the fact that American sheriffs are elected officials.
And there was one other element of the job that stood out.
"They really, really liked our hats," Paris said. "All of them made a point of getting their picture taken with our hats."
Contact staff writer Tyler Jett at tjett@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6476.