Public Safety Topic of the Month

Summer is officially here and many of you will take to the water for your summertime fun. We encourage you to follow these tips when enjoying beaches, pools, lakes, rivers, and other bodies of water:

• Designate an adult to watch children at all times. Do not assume someone else is watching.
• Wear personal flotation devices, install fencing around pools, and use drain covers in hot tubs and pools.
• Keep children within arm’s length when they are in the water, and safety tools such as hooks should be nearby.
• Consider swimming lessons - knowing how to swim greatly reduces the chances of drowning.   
• Have a water safety plan to know what to do during a water safety emergency.

Summer also brings the heat! Remember to not leave pets or children in hot vehicles! Temperatures inside, even in the shade, can rise to dangerous and sometimes deadly levels in a very short period of time.

REMINDER – Entering Autos and Slider Thefts

Entering Autos and “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. On some occasions, the thieves steal the victim’s vehicle and leave them standing alone as they watch their own vehicle being driven away.

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.
• When parking your vehicle anywhere, particularly at home for the night, do not leave valuables in your car.

Our Officers hard at work

On 5/27/2019, uniformed officers responded to Knox Landing Apartments in reference to a theft in progress. It was reported someone was breaking into cars. After arriving on scene, officers checked the area and located a male matching the description of the suspect. Investigation revealed he had broken into multiple cars in the area and possessed property belonging to the victim(s). The suspect was charged with Entering Autos, and the recovered property was returned to their owner(s).

Also on 5/27/2019, officers responded to West Village Apartments in reference to a gunshot passing from one apartment to another. Subsequent investigation resulted in a search warrant being executed on the originating apartment. Multiple guns, ammunition, cash, and illegal narcotics were recovered during the search. The three occupants of the apartment were arrested and charged with the appropriate drug and weapons charges.

On 6/6/2019, uniformed officers responded to First Citizens Bank on Cumberland Blvd. in reference to someone breaking into the ATM there. Upon their arrival, officers apprehended one of the suspects after briefly chasing him on foot. Two acetylene torches, pry bars, and other burglary tools were recovered at the scene. The suspect was charged with 2nd Degree Burglary, Felony Theft By Taking (Att.), Loitering and Prowling, and Possession of Burglary Tools.

These are just three great examples of our officers and detectives working hard to serve the citizens of Cobb County and keep them safe.

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. 

As a result of these working partnerships, the officers are able 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

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.

Cobb County Camera Registry

The Cobb County Police Camera Registration program is a police/community video partnership that operates on a voluntary basis with homeowners, neighborhoods and business owners who own private video surveillance systems. We encourage homeowners, HOAs, businesses, and business communities to partner with the Cobb County Police Department in our efforts to make Cobb County a safer community in which to live, work, and play.

This program is intended to let our officers know where cameras are active in the county in case a crime occurs. It is not intended for active surveillance, and officers will not have direct access to homeowners' cameras. Those who register a camera will be contacted if a crime occurs in the vicinity of that camera.

Information provided by residents and businesses will be maintained in a secure database.

Online Registration Form

Sign Up for PENS Bulletins

To sign up for the Police Email Notification system please subscribe.

If you have any questions or concerns feel free to contact us at Precinct3Pens@cobbcounty.org.

 

Thank you for your participation

Lieutenant C E Dong -   Precinct 3 Criminal Investigations Unit
Sergeant J M Holt - Precinct 3 Criminal Investigations Unit (Day)
Sergeant C S Sperrazza - Precinct 3 Criminal Investigations Unit (Evening)