Georgia CommonsSR 866: Atchely, Ruth; recognize
Last action February 26, 2026 · Senate Read and Adopted
A Georgia Senate resolution honors Ruth Atchely, the Statesboro Police Department's Community Information Specialist, for her community outreach and social media work.
The summaries below were written by an AI model (claude-sonnet-5) from the text of the resolution and are not part of it. Quote the text, not the summary. The stored text is the Enrolled version, the latest LegiScan holds.
In plain language
This resolution is a formal statement from the Georgia Senate recognizing Ruth Atchely, who has worked for the Statesboro Police Department since 2021, first as a Front Counter Clerk and since 2024 as the department's Community Information Specialist. The resolution describes her role, which includes organizing community events, speaking to schools and civic groups, handling media requests, and running the department's social media accounts. The text credits Atchely with coordinating more than 65 community events in 2025 and with a rapid growth in the department's social media following, from 39,000 to 76,300 followers in about six weeks, along with millions of views on the department's Facebook page. The Senate resolves to commend her and directs the Secretary of the Senate to send her a copy of the resolution. It does not change any Georgia law.
What the bill does
- Formally recognizes and commends Ruth Atchely for her work as the Statesboro Police Department's Community Information Specialist.
- Directs the Secretary of the Senate to prepare and distribute a copy of the resolution to Ruth Atchely.
- Creates no new law, funding, or regulatory change; it is a ceremonial statement by the Senate.
Who it affects
This resolution directly names and honors Ruth Atchely and references the Statesboro Police Department. It has no regulatory effect on the broader public, other law enforcement agencies, or any other group in Georgia.
Why it matters
The resolution carries no legal or financial effect; it is a public, official acknowledgment by the Georgia Senate of one employee's work. Its practical significance is symbolic recognition rather than any change to how Georgians are governed or affected day to day.
Key provisions
- The whereas clauses describe Atchely's job duties and her role in coordinating over 65 community events in 2025.
- The whereas clauses cite specific social media growth figures, including a jump from 39,000 to 76,300 followers and 29 million Facebook views in 28 days.
- The resolved clause states the Senate's recognition and commendation of Atchely.
- The final clause directs the Secretary of the Senate to make a copy available for distribution to Atchely.
From the bill
“Ruth's clever, humorous, and witty social media presence has brought attention to the Statesboro Police Department's social media pages”
“the department's Facebook page received more than 29 million views and 39,000 content interactions from all over the world”
Status timeline
- Senate Read and Adopted (Senate)
- Senate Hopper (Senate)
Sponsors
- Billy Hickman (R, SD-004)
- Mike Hodges (R, SD-003)
- Steve Gooch (R, SD-051)
- Ed Setzler (R, SD-037)
- Brian Strickland (R, SD-042)
Topics
- ceremonial resolution
- Statesboro Police Department
- law enforcement community outreach
- Georgia Senate honors