It’s not required and deputies don’t have to pay for it themselves. But Paulding County sheriff’s deputies can now have “In God We Trust” stickers on their county-issued vehicles.
"This was an idea that I have been thinking about for a long time," Sheriff Gary Gulledge posted on his department's Facebook page. "When I asked my deputies whether or not they liked the idea, there was an overwhelming response in favor it."
The Paulding Sheriff’s Office is the latest to add the stickers to patrol vehicles. They added the stickers this week.
Deputies who wanted the stickers paid $6, or Gulledge said he’d foot the bill if deputies didn’t want to pay. The Sheriff’s Office used Facebook to announce the decision to add the stickers, sharing it with the more than 16,000 people who follow the page.
“This is what the United States of America was founded upon and is one of the principles I live my life upon,” Gulledge said.
And while the sheriff was prepared for some negative feedback, the reaction has been overwhelmingly positive, Cpl. Ashley Henson said Tuesday.
Within 24 hours of the Facebook post, nearly 1,300 people had commented and more than 9,500 “liked” the note from Gulledge, along with a picture of the new sticker.
“Countless people have said they would pay to have them put on our cars,” Henson said.
Still, not everyone is pleased with Gulledge’s decision, and those people used the same Facebook post to voice their disapproval.
“As an atheist member of my community I now feel that this sheriff’s department would value the life of a Christian over mine,” one person wrote.
Deputies in unmarked patrol cars can choose to have smaller decals on the license plate, Henson said.
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