Welcome to the June edition of the PENS Bulletin brought to you by the Cobb County Police Criminal Investigations Unit at Precinct Two.

Public Safety Topic(s) of the Month

Summer Safety Tips

Whether your kids are home for summer, on the road with you or away at camp, use these tips to keep your family safe and healthy.

Fun in the Sun

• Protect your child from too much sun. The sun's rays are strongest between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., so be extra careful during that time.
• Whenever your child is outside, use sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 to 30. Choose one that protects against UVA and UVB rays.
• Apply sunscreen 30 minutes before going outside. Reapply every two hours and after being in the water or sweating.
• Keep children under 1 out of the sun as much as you can. Dress your baby in lightweight, light-colored clothing with long sleeves and long pants. Always cover their head. Children under 6 months of age can have small amounts of sunscreen put on their faces and the backs of their hands, but be careful not to get it in their eyes or mouth.
• Most of the sun's burning rays go right through clouds, so use sunscreen even on cloudy days.
• Select sunglasses for babies and children that provide 100% UV protection.
• When it is 90° or above and humid, children should not play outside or exercise for more than 30 minutes at a time.
• Make sure your child drinks plenty of fluids even if they are not thirsty. Water is best.
• Take breaks to cool off in the shade.

Water Safety

• Never leave children alone in or near the water, even for a minute. Watch children with care in and around water. Have adults take turns being "child watchers" at family events.
• Young children need to wear life jackets when playing in or near water and while on docks. Children, teens and adults should wear life jackets for boating and while swimming in lakes, rivers or the ocean.
• Bring life jackets with you on outings and vacations. Make sure they fit and are comfortable.
• Teach your children to swim. Be aware of the hazards of swimming in a lake or river.
• Toys and mattresses that inflate will not keep children safe. Life jackets are the only flotation aid you can rely on.
• Children should swim only when lifeguards are on duty or if an experienced swimmer is watching.
• Pools need a fence that has four sides, is at least four feet high, and is self-latching and secured.
• Cover your spa when not in use. Keep long hair away from intake drains at the bottom of spas.
• If you spend time in boats, learn about boating safety. Call 800-336-BOAT to learn more.
• Ponds, five-gallon buckets and wading pools are drowning hazards for very young children. Empty water from buckets and wading pools, and make sure children are supervised around water.

Playgrounds

• Watch children while they play at the playground.
• Keep children away from the front and back of swings while in use.
• Make sure metal slides are cool to prevent burns.
• Check play equipment for exposed bolt heads, sharp edges and places where fingers can get pinched. Cover these with rubber.
• Place new play equipment over wood chips, sand or another soft surface.
• Avoid riding double on swings and slides.
• Teach children to take turns and not push or roughhouse on play structures.

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 both businesses and residents to register their cameras online by completing the form below.

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.

Fill out our Online Registration Form and find out more about the program.

Your Heroes at work

Theft

Precinct Two officers were dispatched to an apartment complex regarding a located stolen cell phone. Upon officers arriving, the victim advised his cell phone was stolen while he was at Six Flags. Officers collected the information and were able to identify the suspect. They then had the victim call the suspect and tell him he had the cash for the phone. The suspect arrived in a Lyft vehicle and was immediately detained by officers. During a search of the suspect, he possessed approximately three dozen credit cards, 12 of which were stolen from Six Flags. He also had approximately two dozen cell phones in a backpack. The suspect was arrested and charged with theft by taking.

Entering Auto

Officers responded to a victim holding two entering auto perpetrators on Oakhill Rd at gunpoint. One of the males was arrested on scene but the other fled prior to police arrival. The second suspect was found later entering a separate auto. Several charges were made including entering auto, theft by receiving, marijuana possession, and an outstanding armed robbery warrant was served on one of the arrestees

Shoplifting/Possession of Cocaine

Precinct Two officers were dispatched to a local retail store regarding a shoplifting in progress. The complainant stated that the suspect struck his arm as he ran out of the store with unpaid merchandise. Officers arrived on scene and met with the complainant who advised the suspect was last seen running into the wood line nearby. Available units responded, located the suspect, and took him into custody. During a search of his person, suspected crack cocaine was located. The suspect was charged with shoplifting, simple battery, possession of cocaine, and obstruction.

Burglary

A male suspect was observed stealing copper wire from new homes under construction. Officers arrived and were clearing the residence when the suspect ran towards his vehicle. A short foot pursuit and altercation took place and the suspect was taken into custody. The vehicle the suspect was fleeing to was impounded and full of copper wire from multiple homes. He was charged with  burglary and theft.  

This is only a few of examples that demonstrates the hard work and professionalism exhibited by the officers of Precinct 2 on a daily basis.

Community Affairs Officers for Precinct 2

Officer Cole and Officer Conwell are assigned as the Community Affairs officers serving the community in Precinct 2.

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 homeowners 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 effecting your area or would like more information regarding this unit, please contact Officer Cole or Conwell.

Officers Cole and Conwell can be reached via email at Rivion.cole@cobbcounty.org and James.Conwell@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.

Sign Up for PENS Bulletins

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If you have any questions or concerns feel free to contact us at Precinct2Pens@cobbcounty.org

Thank you for your participation.

Lieutenant M.T. Brown - Precinct 2 Criminal Investigations Unit
Sergeant M. Nerbonne - Precinct 2 Criminal Investigations Unit (Day) 
Sergeant K. Clausen - Precinct 2 Criminal Investigations Unit (Evenings)