Councilmember Georgia Erickson became Chair of the Public Safety Committee in 1994. During her tenure as Chair, the Overland Park Police Department grew in size and stature, leaving behind the trappings of a medium-sized police department and readily becoming a large metropolitan organization.

Keeping pace with this growth was often difficult, requiring the addition of two police facilities, one of which was the construction of the police headquarters facility known as the W. Jack Sanders Justice Center.

As Chair of the Public Safety Committee, she championed various major police issues ranging from compensation and benefits to performance and efficiency improvements. Of all of her initiatives, the closest and nearest to her heart was the concept of community volunteerism.

As the consummate volunteer, Georgia Erickson leaves a legacy of dedication and commitment to the community by members of the community itself. Her support of community oriented policing, as well as her support for volunteerism, in general, led to the widespread use of volunteers throughout the organization.