Albany was in a crisis. Gangs were proliferating in the community and little was being done about it. Indeed, Albany’s mayor, city manager and police chief relegated to lying rather than working with other law enforcement agencies to try to solve the problem.

Enter Jason Armstrong.

Armstrong, at the time a new investigator with the Dougherty District Attorney’s Office, spearheaded the creation of a multi-agency gang task force and the institution of a centralized gang database that can facilitate the sharing of information among agencies. In the word of Dougherty County Police Capt. Jimmie Sexton, “Inv. Armstrong has used his knowledge and experience to teach numerous classes, both in the civilian community and law enforcement community, concerning gang recognition, prevention and prosecution. Within two and half years Inv. Armstrong’s work led to the successful prosecution of 45 gang members and 97 percent conviction rate. One violent gang, the Westside Rattlers, was almost completely destroyed.”

Still quoting, Sexton, who has nominated Armstrong for an officer-of-the-year award, “Inv. Armstrong’s actions have made an exceptional contribution to the fight against drugs, gangs and crime in our community.”

Thanks, Inv. Armstrong. It’s an honor to have you on the public payroll.