Members of the Georgia State Patrol (GSP) and local officials gathered at the newly constructed Post 18 Patrol Barracks in Reidsville for the official ribbon cutting on Friday October 25, 2024.  The ceremony began at 10 a.m. The new barracks is located almost directly behind the Tattnall County Jail.

GSP Captain J.K. Crews welcomed the crowd, and Department of Public Safety (DPS) Reverend Chip Strickland provided the invocation.  The Georgia State Patrol Honor Guard executed an impressive presentation of the American Flag. The “National Anthem” was played beautifully by Department of Public Safety Bugler Fred Hall.

Comments by Sheriff Kyle Sapp and Tattnall County Commission Chairman Jackie Trim provided a brief but interesting history of Post 18 Reidsville.  The original post building is directly across Hwy. 147 at the Georgia State Prison in Reidsville, and it was constructed in the 1940s. The second post building, which was much more spacious, was put in operation in 1968.  In the early days of the Georgia State Prison, Georgia State Troopers were called upon to provide back-up security during escapes or significant unrest inside the facility when called upon by the prison warden, and the barracks provided a staging area for Troopers and operations. Local residents were able to obtain and renew driver’s licenses at the old posts as long as they were in operation. Drivers’ licenses will still be issued at the old post at the prison.

The new Post was a project led by the late Senator Jack Hill.  The project could have been derailed due to the COVID epidemic, and it was viewed as a project that could be delayed to facilitate budget cuts during that time.  However, Senator Blake Tillery, who was a close friend to Senator Hill, strongly supported completing the project in memory of Senator Hill.

Interestingly, three of the last four Sheriffs of Tattnall County served as Georgia State Troopers at Post 18.  Those include Sheriff Romie Waters, Sheriff Quinton Rush, and current Sheriff Kyle Sapp.

The new building is approximately 10,000 square feet, and it accommodates seven offices, three bedrooms, a large conference and training room, kitchen and dining area, lobby, evidence room, laundry room, and a Trooper room. The rear of the building consists of a canopy to accommodate 12 vehicles, an equipment room, and a carwash bay.

In a conversation with Senator Hill several years ago during the early planning stages for the Post, he pointed out that Reidsville was just outside the evacuation area typically observed for Atlantic hurricanes, and it could serve as an effective staging location in the event of a storm that might require the evacuation of the Brunswick-Savannah area.  The damage sustained in Tattnall County as a result of Hurricane Helene on the morning of September 27, 2024, firmly underscores Senator Hill’s foresight and the need for staging areas for law enforcement and emergency responders in Tattnall County. 

Final acknowledgements before the ribbon cutting were made by Colonel Billy Hitchins, Commissioner of the Department of Public Safety, who thanked all those who made the new facility possible. 

The Reverend Ashley Tyree, DPS Chaplain, closed out the event with the benediction.