Buzzing With Pride: A Thank-You to the Hahira Police Department
Here at riktom.com we’re proud to call Hahira home, and there’s a small group of folks who make that little corner of Lowndes County a place worth being proud of: the men and women of the Hahira Police Department. So this one’s simple. It’s a thank-you. A tip of the cap to the people who patrol our streets at 2 a.m. so the rest of us can sleep, who wave at the kids on bikes, and who show up — every single day — for a town most of the world has never heard of.
And what a town it is to serve.
Policing the Honey Bee Capital of the World
If you’re going to be a small-town cop, you could do a lot worse than the “Home of the Honey Bee.” Hahira isn’t just any dot on the map between Valdosta and the state line — it was once known as the Queen Bee Capital of the World for its honeybee production, and the town has leaned into that sweet identity ever since. Every October, the Hahira Honeybee Festival turns a town of a few thousand into a buzzing carnival of arts, crafts, food, and a downtown parade. It started back in 1981, when two local women decided to liven the place up for a weekend — and it has grown into a week-long celebration that draws more than 20,000 visitors. Do the math: that’s a crowd many times the size of the town itself, descending on Main Street for honey, funnel cakes, and a parade. Guess who keeps all of that running smoothly and safely? Your Hahira PD.
Here’s a fun one to chew on while you’re at it: nobody is entirely sure where the name “Hahira” even comes from. The town (incorporated way back on October 2, 1891, as a railroad stop hauling cotton and tobacco) got its name from its first postmaster, Berry Folsom — but the origin is a genuine local mystery. One story traces it to the Bible, to a place called Pi-Hahiroth where the Israelites camped in the Book of Exodus. Another says it was borrowed from a faraway river. And the most charming legend of all claims a man named Hira used to rest by the railroad tracks to watch the trains roll by, and passersby would call out, “Hey, Hira!” Take your pick. The officers patrolling those same streets today are part of a story more than 130 years in the making.
Small town, serious experience
Don’t let the size fool you. The folks running Hahira PD bring a stack of experience that would make a much bigger city jealous. In April 2024, the city named Stryde Jones its new Chief of Police — a man with more than 30 years in law enforcement. Before pinning on the Hahira badge, Chief Jones retired from the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office as captain of the detective bureau, then served as chief deputy at the Lanier County Sheriff’s Office. That’s three decades of knowing this region inside and out — its roads, its people, its rhythms.
He took the reins from Chief Terry Davis, and Davis’s tenure is the kind of number that stops you in your tracks: more than 42 years in law enforcement, with 23 of them spent leading the Hahira Police Department. Twenty-three years as chief of one small town. That isn’t a job; that’s a calling. When you talk about “dedication,” that’s the picture in the dictionary.
The department itself runs on a community-oriented policing philosophy — the old-fashioned idea that the best way to keep a town safe is to actually know the town. Officers provide around-the-clock coverage, regularly patrol the residential and business districts, and, by the city’s own account, work closely with county, state, and federal agencies with modern, up-to-date equipment. The city even credits the department with a no-tolerance stance on crime and one of the lowest crime rates in Lowndes County. For a town that throws a week-long honey party every fall, “quiet and safe” is exactly the reputation you want.
What 24/7 looks like in a town this size
In a department this small, there’s no hiding behind a big roster. Every officer wears a lot of hats. The same person directing parade traffic in October might be working a wreck on a back road in November, checking on an elderly resident in December, and coaching a nervous teenager through their first fender-bender in January. They’re patrol officer, investigator, traffic cop, counselor, and friendly face all rolled into one — and they answer the call at every hour, in every kind of weather.
That’s the part that’s easy to take for granted. A big-city department has specialists for everything. A small-town department has neighbors who decided to carry the weight for everybody else. When you call the Hahira PD, you’re not getting a stranger from three counties over — you’re getting somebody who probably knows your street, your dog, and your grandmother. There’s a reason small-town policing feels different. It’s personal, because it is.
In honor of Officer Caleb Abney
No honest thank-you to this department would be complete without pausing to remember the cost that dedication can carry. In February 2026, the Hahira Police Department lost one of its own. Officer Caleb Abney was killed in the line of duty while conducting a traffic stop on Interstate 75 in Lowndes County, when his patrol car was struck from behind by another vehicle. He was doing the most routine part of the job — the kind of stop officers make a hundred times a month — and he did not come home.
Officer Abney was the picture of a young man who simply wanted to serve. Before joining the police department he’d worked with Lowndes County Fire Rescue, where he was honored as Probationary Firefighter of the Year. He was engaged, and was set to be married that spring. Law enforcement agencies from across South Georgia turned out to honor him — escorting him home, lining the roads, and hanging flags in tribute across the region. In a department his size, his loss was not an abstraction. As Chief Jones put it, plainly and from the heart: “He was family.”
That’s the truth behind every patrol car you wave at. The officers of the Hahira Police Department put on the uniform knowing the risk, and they do it anyway, for a town that can never quite repay them. The least the rest of us can do is say so out loud.
Common Questions
Who is the Hahira police chief?
Stryde Jones, appointed in April 2024, with more than 30 years in law enforcement — previously captain of the detective bureau at the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office and chief deputy at the Lanier County Sheriff’s Office. He succeeded Chief Terry Davis, who served over 42 years in law enforcement and 23 as Hahira’s chief.
How do I reach the Hahira Police Department?
The department is at 815 Tillman Street, Hahira, GA 31632. Business calls: (229) 794-2440; after-hours non-emergency dispatch: (229) 245-5270. For any emergency, always call 911.
Why is Hahira the “Honey Bee Capital”?
The town was once known as the Queen Bee Capital of the World for its honeybee production, and it has celebrated that heritage with the Hahira Honeybee Festival every year since 1981 — now a week-long October event drawing 20,000+ visitors.
How can I support local law enforcement?
Wave. Say thank you. Slow down in the school zones. Report what you see. Show up to community events. And when a department is grieving, like Hahira’s, a kind word to an officer goes a long way.
The Bottom Line
Hahira is a small town with a big heart, a sweet nickname, and a police department that has quietly earned every bit of the pride this community feels. From Chief Davis’s two-plus decades at the helm to Chief Jones’s steady hand today, from the everyday patrols to the parade-day crowds to the heartbreaking sacrifice of Officer Caleb Abney, these are neighbors who chose to look after the rest of us. So from all of us at riktom.com, to all of you behind the badge in Hahira: thank you. Keep the Honey Bee Capital buzzing — we’ve got nothing but respect for the folks who keep it safe.
If you’re new to the area or want more local resources, our free LocalHelp finder lists South Georgia community services, and Storm Desk keeps an eye on the weather and alerts close to home. And if you enjoy a good local-hero story, you might like our tribute to Hahira’s Nathaniel Sixberry and the Adel tornado recovery.
Hahira Police Department
815 Tillman Street, Hahira, GA 31632
Business: (229) 794-2440 · After-hours dispatch: (229) 245-5270
Emergencies: call 911
This article is a community-appreciation piece, not an official statement of the City of Hahira or its police department. Department details and contact information are drawn from the city’s website and local news reports and may change — for current information, visit the City of Hahira. In any emergency, call 911.