ALBANY, Ga. (WALB) - For employees and patrons who frequent the downtown government offices in Albany, encounters with ‘aggressive panhandlers’, people experiencing mental health crises, and unhoused individuals have left some feeling uneasy. But an anticipated panic button system in the Government Center and the County Tag and Tax Office might soon change how quickly officials can respond to emergencies in Dougherty County buildings.

Testing the System

Major Ken Faust of the Dougherty County Sheriff’s Office walked WALB through a test system Thursday morning, Feb. 5, demonstrating how a single button can alert deputies directly, bypassing 911/dispatch entirely.

“We’re upgrading protection for employees and citizens coming to the government and judicial buildings,” Faust said. “This gives people confidence they can get help immediately if a situation escalates.”

The panic buttons, approved through a $36,543 bid by the Dougherty County Commission, will be installed in common areas and at front desks, but excludes stairwells and parking garages.

“Panic buttons won’t be allowed in the stairwells and parking decks because of unintentional pressing,” Faust explained. “Kids playing with it. Unhoused people would play with it. And every time that button is hit, we have to respond.”

Instead, cameras at entrances and exits of stairwells capture photos of people coming in and out—though Faust acknowledged that environmental and construction limitations prevent cameras from covering every area.

For visitors concerned about safety in these blind spots, Faust gave additional solutions.

“If you have your phone, call 911. If there’s not a panic button around, evacuate the area. Don’t engage, just back away. And if you’re still feeling threatened, start making noise. Holler. Make a commotion to get someone’s attention so they can have law enforcement respond.”

‘Intelligent’ Panic Buttons

Faust said the future of the system will extend beyond simple alerts. The sheriff’s office is exploring “intelligent panic alarms”—buttons that allow deputies to communicate directly with the person pressing it, gathering critical information before arriving on scene.

“There’s some panic alarms that are intelligent that you can actually have a conversation with the person that presses the panic button,” Faust said. “As they’re dispatched, the person can tell them what’s going on.”

If intelligent panic alarms are placed in stairwells or other vulnerable areas, they would use this two-way capability to better assess situations before officers arrive, Faust said.

A Pattern of Incidents Downtown

Inside the government buildings, the sheriff’s office said they have responded to numerous calls related to aggressive panhandling, mental crises, individuals bathing in fountains, and other disruptive behavior. Faust said deputies patrol regularly.

“If we find someone who’s been loitering in the building without conducting business, we’ll make contact with them,” he said. “If we discover they’re just in here taking a break, we’ll ask them to leave so people can feel comfortable as they do their business.”

Layers of Security

Panic buttons are not the first upgrade. Plexiglass barriers at front desks, on-site security guards, and routine patrols have already been implemented in the government buildings. Yet Faust agrees the barriers alone aren’t enough.

“You still have to have some physical contact with clients coming in and citizens. So these panic alarms will be right there with the employee in case something happens in that close so they can make a call for help,” he said.

How Success Will Be Measured

The effectiveness of the panic buttons will be monitored through regular audits—a process the sheriff’s office plans to repeat every six to 12 months, the sheriff office explained.

“What was the outcome? Was it a false alarm? Was there an arrest made? Was there some type of report that made the person was in a mental crisis? That’s where you can tell if you’re passing or failing. You just have to measure,” he said.

There is already a basic system in the Dougherty County Judicial building.

“Right now, it’s just designated for government buildings,” he said. “This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s part of an ongoing effort to assess and improve safety.”

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