‘In God We Trust’ going on back of PCSO cars
A simple phrase that has always graced the front of greenbacks now finds itself on the back of local police cars.
A new logo has been added to the cars used by Polk County Sheriff’s deputies and the command staff after Sheriff Johnny Moats decided that ‘ In God We Trust’ was a good addition to his vehicle.
Moats said he got the idea a few months back when a sheriff in Missouri posted his own sticker addition online, and deciding it was a good idea, added one of his own.
“With all that’s happened over the past years with officer-related shootings, it’s good to remind people what we’re here for and part of that is the trust we place in God in our nation,” he said.
Once he added the sticker to the back bumper of his patrol car, Moats said other officers in the department asked if they could too.
“I told them that if they wanted to do it, they could, but out of their own pocket,” he said.
No taxpayer money is being spent on the stickers, Moats said. And only the vehicles that deputies use during their duties have the additional logos thus far.
“As far as I know we haven’t put them on the Hummers yet,” he said. “But it’s something we’ll look at.”
He said that since posting his own picture of the ‘In God We Trust’ sticker on the back of his vehicle, Moats has received calls and emails from several Sheriff’s offices around the state asking about the addition, saying they will do it too.
Sheriff Tim Burkhalter in Floyd County expressed interest in adding the motto to his patrol cars, and Paulding County’s sheriff already has. Stickers have been placed on cop cars in Haralson and Gilmer counties too, Moats said.
“It just went viral,” he said.
He said the stickers have thus far gotten positive comment from local residents, and that only a few negative comments have been expressed, mainly from non-residents of the county.
“As long as my citizen are OK with it, then the stickers will be on there,” he said.
Local city or county police departments are not allowed to add these kinds of stickers to the backs of their cars without permission from city and county commissions to add the stickers to the back of their cars.
Polk County Chief Kenny Dodd explained that his officers would need permission from the county commission to add the stickers to their cars, even if the officers pay for them themselves.
He said if it were approved by the Board of Commissioners for Polk County, he would approve.
Chief Jamie Newsome said he thought it was a good idea too.
“I am fully supportive of Sheriff Moats display of our national motto on his patrol cars, and seeing as how it is an authorized tag decal on official state of Georgia automobile tags, I’d have no opposition whatsoever of displaying it on Cedartown Police Department vehicles were it approved or requested by the Commission,” Newsome said.
Rockmart Police Chief Keith Sorrells said he would also allow his officers to place the stickers on their cars if interest was shown and permission given.