Welcome to the February edition of the 2019 Pens Bulletin brought to you by the Cobb County Police Criminal Investigations Unit at Precinct Three.

Public Safety Topic of the Month

Spring Break

The time is quickly approaching when many families will be packing up to go somewhere nice to enjoy the warm season, but also many have college students that will go on Spring Break. Personal safety is the theme of our February PENS Bulletin. It is imperative that families, especially students, exercise caution when travelling regardless of their destination. And while resorts and tourist destinations generally do not see high levels of violent crime, you should be aware that incidents of crime and violence can occur anywhere. We urge you to do diligent research before venturing across or out of the country. Following a few simple safety precautions can help make your Spring Break adventure a more enjoyable experience.

Before leaving

• Secure your house or apartment.
• Unplug all appliances.
• Make sure all windows are closed and locked.
• Leave a copy of your travel itinerary with someone back home.
• Stop your mail through the USPS.
• Utilize timers for interior lighting.
• Consider surveillance systems that can be accessed by your smartphone when you are away.

Travelling

• If travelling abroad, check the U.S. State Department’s Travel Alerts and Warnings.
• Conduct an internet search of the local Newspapers / Crime Stats / Trends of the area you will be visiting.
• If travelling abroad, respect your host country and its people by following their laws and customs.
• Practice the country’s language ahead of time. Bring a language dictionary to help.
• Avoid carrying large amounts of cash.
• Leave credit cards and ATM cards locked in a secure place. Prepaid travel money cards are best.
• Keep track of your baggage and personal belongings at all times.

Use the buddy system

• There is safety in numbers and it is best to do things as a group.
• Try to have at least three members of your group with you at all times when leaving your hotel.
• Don’t leave a friend behind. If you go out together, come home together!

Drinking

If you are of legal drinking age and you do decide to drink, do so responsibly. Reports indicate that 98% of spring breakers who suffered injuries were intoxicated at the time. Note also that drinking to intoxication leaves a person more susceptible to becoming the victim of a sexual assault or other serious crime. Keep your drink in sight at all times. If you must leave an unfinished drink to go to the bathroom or dance floor, discard it and purchase a new one when you return. Leaving a drink unattended gives anyone (including bar personnel) the opportunity to tamper with it.

DO NOT DRINK AND DRIVE Use a designated driver or choose public transportation.

The most important spring break safety tip we can give you is to ask you to use common sense. Trust your instincts; if someone, or someplace, doesn’t feel right to you, chances are it isn’t. With these safety tips in mind, stay safe, and enjoy your sun-filled spring break!

REMINDER - Slider Thefts

Slider thefts continue to plague our community, especially on the southern borders of Cobb County. If you haven’t heard already, “Slider Thefts” typically occur when victims are pumping gas. Thieves enter the gas station parking lot, typically in a stolen vehicle, and pull alongside an unsuspecting victim as they pump their gas. The thief crouches down, out of the victim’s view and opens the victim’s car door on the opposite side and steals his/her personal belongings on the front seat or floorboard. In more recent reports, the thieves steal the victim’s vehicle and leave them standing alone as they watch their own vehicle being driven away. With an uptick in these incidents, citizens should take every precaution to avoid becoming a victim.

Tips for our citizens

• Pay attention to your surroundings.
• Remove your keys, close the window and lock the doors while pumping gas.
• Take your purse/wallet with you.
• Pick well-lit gas stations equipped with surveillance cameras.
• Do Not let your cell phone distract you.
• Do Not engage suspects as they may be armed.
• Call 911 and provide clothing, vehicle description and direction of travel.

Our Officers Hard at Work

Traffic Stop / Narcotics

On 02/03/2019, Morning Watch officers conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle driving on the wrong side of the road on Clay Dr. at Walthall Ave. During the traffic stop the driver threw a bag of methamphetamine out the window. The driver fled on foot and officers gave chase and took the suspect into custody without incident. The driver was in possession of a handgun and informed officers he swallowed a bag of drugs (possibly meth) during the stop. He complained of chest pains and officers called for EMS personnel to come to the scene. The suspect was transported to Kennestone Hospital for treatment and charged with driving on the wrong side of the road, Possession of Methamphetamine, possession of Heroin, possession firearm by a convicted felon, possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime. 

Entering Autos/Wanted Person (Homicide)

On 02/08/2019 at approximately 10:29 p.m., officers were dispatched to a suspicious person call at 1600 Tibarron Pkwy. Several callers stated they saw young black males flipping vehicle door handles in the complex. K9, Morning watch, and Evening watch officers all responded to the scene. They coordinated an effort to cover both the front and rear access points to the complex. Once enough officers arrived on scene, officers entered the complex to attempt to locate the suspects. Officers saw a vehicle backed in with the lights on. The driver turned the headlights off and tried unsuccessfully to leave the complex. The suspects then fled on foot. One suspect remained in the vehicle when contacted by officers. One suspect was located on White Oak Dr. and was taken into custody without incident. K9 Officers located an additional suspect in the woods near White Oak Dr. near Oakdale Rd. CIU 3 Detectives were contacted and responded to the scene and it was learned that both the vehicle and tag were stolen out of the city of South Fulton. Officers received several calls of a suspicious male knocking on doors and ringing doorbells in the area of White Oak Townhomes and located a fourth suspect. 

Officers continued to check the area and located a fifth suspect who was hiding at the RaceTrac on S. Cobb Drive. He was taken into custody without incident and a check revealed he had active warrants out of East Point GA for Homicide and Armed Robbery.

These are only two examples that demonstrate the hard work and professionalism exhibited by the officers of Precinct 3 on a daily basis.

Community Affairs Officers for Precinct 3

Officer Stoney is assigned as the Community Affairs officer serving the community in Precinct 3.

The Community Affairs Unit seeks to effectively engage the community and citizens to strengthen Public Safety and community partnerships, facilitate a joint effort in solving problems which affect our community, and foster enhanced trust, communication, transparency, and mutual respect.

Officers help foster a strong working relationship between the Department and the community it serves. Officers work with homeowner’s associations, community organizations, advocacy groups, public and private schools, faith-based organizations, and individual residents to promote partnerships that are mutually beneficial. 

These working partnerships allow the officers to develop pro-active crime fighting projects that are jointly undertaken by Department personnel and citizens.

If you have a concern affecting your area or would like more information regarding this unit, please contact Officer Stoney.

Officer Stoney can be reached via email at Rasean.Stoney@cobbcounty.org

Stay up to Date with Critical Information

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Cobb Department of Public Safety staff is working to enhance the delivery of near real-time information to residents about incidents that may have significant and/or imminent impacts on their safety or welfare. DPS has implemented the SwiftReach Swift911 notification system to distribute these types of alerts.

SwiftReach is a high-speed emergency notification system that alerts residents to emergency situations including severe weather, missing and endangered persons or significant road closures due to fatality accidents or other unplanned incidents in the local area. The program has the capability of delivering pre-recorded messages to the entire county via telephone, cell phone, email and text messaging. The system uses a publicly-available list of phone numbers that can be removed or updated by both residents and businesses.

There are two simple options to opt-in and provide contact information for this service. Sign up on for the service online. Residents can also get the Swift911 Mobile App by texting the word “Swift911” to “99538.” The response text will be a link for the Swift 911 app in the app store. SwiftReach is another example of using current technology to ensure residents receive vital information from the Department of Public Safety.

Police Athletic League

Cobb PAL focuses on juvenile crime prevention through athletic and recreational activities for Cobb County’s high-risk neighborhoods, primarily in South Cobb. There are many ways that you can help, whether it be spreading the word, getting your children involved, volunteering your time and resources or donating money. If you wish to assist this worthwhile program and make a donation, visit Ways to Help.

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Thank you for your participation

Lieutenant C E Dong - Precinct 3 Criminal Investigations Unit

Sergeant C S Sperrazza - Precinct 3 Criminal Investigations Unit (Day)

Sergeant J M Holt - Precinct 3 Criminal Investigations Unit (Evenings)