BY MARK J. CRAWFORD
Telegraph Editor
Lawtey’s new police chief appreciates the support that got him the job and he’s already giving that support back to the community.
Chief Jerry Feltner was sworn in earlier this month by Judge Tatum Davis, surrounded by his family.
With a change in administrations, Feltner said there have already been a few changes in the Lawtey Police Department. One thing people can expect is a more personal touch. Officers will speak to citizens each time they’re on duty to collect feedback and bring issues to the attention of the department. Officers will have a presence on the actual streets of Lawtey, and not just U.S. 301, he said.
While most officers are part-time employees, salary adjustments are planned to encourage them to stick with the Lawtey Police Department so there is continuity in these relationships.
His full-time staff includes Capt. Nathan Blom, and he is searching for a lieutenant knowledgeable about narcotics, which flow through the city via U.S. 301. The lieutenant will oversee the officers and be involved in their ongoing training.
“I’m going to be a working chief,” Feltner said of his own responsibilities. Not one to sit behind a desk, he described his involvement in the past week with a drug arrest resulting from a traffic stop.
“I’m going to be writing citations just like any other one of my guys, I’m going to work. I don’t like to sit in my office, I want to get out and be productive and get things done,” he said.
Feltner has also been meeting with business owners and school officials, making the department’s resources available when called upon.
Long-term, Feltner wants to change the perception that there is an eastside and westside of town, bringing citizens together and building relationships with the department and community.
“I want people to know that we are working, we’re out and we’re here for them.”
Specifically, he talked about building neighborhood watch programs and conducting wellness checks with elderly residents. Feltner is also trained in inspecting homes for security risks and making recommendations to improve safety and protection.
Feltner said he appreciates the opportunity to be chief of police, and he wants the community to know the department will be there for them in every way it can.
Feltner is proud that Lawtey has been his home for nearly 50 years. The family roots extend back to 1955 when his late grandparents, Paul and Margret Smith started and operated Standard Oil located where the Lawtey Shell Station is today. Like them, he still resides on McKinley Drive with his wife, Tammy (Conklin) Feltner.
He is a father and stepfather, and his son and daughter followed him into the field of law enforcement. Feltner has served more than 30 years with experience ranging from patrol, investigations, multi-agency drug task forces and working alongside with federal agencies. Along the way he has worked for and learned from Starke Chief H.F. Wiggins, Bradford Sheriff Kenneth Etheridge, Clay Sheriff Scott Lancaster and Union Sheriff Jerry Whitehead.
In December 2021, Feltner was elected Lawtey chief of police with a 36% margin over his opponent.
