Public Safety Topic of the Month

I hope all of you are enjoying the last few weeks of summer. In this month’s bulletin, I would like to offer some guidelines for teaching safe online practices to your children.

The internet offers many advantages such as being a fast and reliable means of communication both locally and around the world. It offers a wealth of information on every topic imaginable right at your fingertips. The internet also offers limitless entertainment and the convenience of shopping right from your home.

Unfortunately, there is also a dark side to the internet and as parents we must educate our children to the unique dangers that have evolved as an unintended consequence of the World Wide Web. By the time kids reach middle school, most of them will be more computer savvy than we as parents can ever hope to become. But although knowledgeable about search engines and social networking sites, their personal safety skills are still developing which can make them very vulnerable to sexual predators.

The FBI — Parent Guide to Internet Safety recommends that you monitor your child's access to all types of live electronic communications such as online games and instant messaging, in addition to your child's email account. You can access additional valuable information by visiting their link including tips to help you recognize if your child has been exposed to an online predator and what steps to take if they have been.

The following rules for safe internet usage should be taught and frequently reinforced:

1. Never arrange a face-to-face meeting with someone they met online.
2. Never upload (post) pictures of themselves onto the Internet or online service to people they do not personally know.
3. Never give out identifying information such as their name, home address, school name, or telephone number and remember that calling a number provided by someone you met online can reveal your own number.
4. Never download pictures from an unknown source, as there is a good chance that the pictures could be of a sexually explicit nature
5. Never respond to messages or bulletin board postings that are suggestive, obscene, belligerent, or harassing.

Sexual predators are the best of con artists and can be very convincing to a vulnerable adolescent. Remind your child that it is very difficult to verify the validity of information they are provided and it is simply a chance not worth taking.

REMINDER – Entering Autos and Slider Thefts

“Slider thefts” have decreased in our area, however we urge residents to stay vigilant in their efforts to reduce their chances of becoming a victim of this type of crime. 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, as the victim watches their own vehicle driven away. Entering auto thefts have increased for parked/unattended vehicles. In most of these incidents, the thieves force entry into victims’ vehicles and take items value.

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 7/24/2019 around 4:05 p.m., Marietta PD had an armed robbery at the Cash America Pawn at 316 Cobb Parkway. A lookout was given for the suspects who were in a white Crown Vic with blue writing on the side. One of our officers working off duty at Cumberland Mall, found the vehicle coming from the incident location toward I-285. Other officers responded as the suspects tried to elude, eventually a PIT maneuver was used to end the vehicle pursuit. The driver was immediately taken into custody, but the passenger ran on foot. With the assistance of Cobb K-9, Georgia State Patrol, Atlanta Police and their helicopter, the passenger and items stolen in the armed robbery were located nearby.

The two suspects were turned over to Marietta Police. Atlanta Police Department advised they will be able to clear 15 cases with this arrest. 

Also on 7/24/19 around 2:54 a.m., officers were driving past the railroad tracks on Paces Ferry Road at Overlook Pkwy when they observed a vehicle stopped on the railroad tracks. The driver had managed to turn onto the railroad tracks thinking it was a roadway, then fell asleep at the wheel with the car still in drive. Officers approached the vehicle and observed the driver asleep at the wheel. Unable to wake the driver, officers utilized their asp batons to break open the driver’s side window after hearing a train coming. Officers pulled the driver out of the vehicle just seconds before the train struck the vehicle. It was determined the driver was impaired and was arrested for DUI.

7/29/2019 at approximately 6:03 p.m., officers responded to a medical/PD related call near Powers Ferry Rd and Interstate North Pkwy. The caller stated her sister was unresponsive and not breathing. Officers began performing CPR upon arrival when no pulse was detected. The victim began to show vital signs, and opened her eyes before passing out again. Officers Janke continued to assess and treat the victim until Cobb Fire/EMS arrived. She was breathing and had a pulse upon being transported to Northside Hospital.  

On 7/30/19 around 10:53 p.m., PCT 3 officers began checking near Pat Mell Road and Lynn Drive for a stolen vehicle, a silver Hyundai, traveling west in that area. An officer checking apartment complexes located the vehicle backed in behind a building. The driver and passenger were taken into custody without incident. The driver was charged with Theft by Receiving Stolen Vehicle and was also wanted out of Gwinnett County for Escape on 7/22/19. The passenger was charged with Possession of Marijuana and Tampering with Evidence.

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 proactive 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 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.

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

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.

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