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

Public Safety Topic of the Month

Halloween Safety During a Pandemic

1. Ditch the Candy Bowl. Quite possibly the most important thing you can do is skip the "communal" candy bowl. Whether you usually hand out candy from the bowl or let kiddos dig in and grab their favorites, it's just too tricky for trick-or-treating this year. A candy bowl can't be contact-free. So, what's the alternative? (See #2)
2. Grab-and-Go. Set up a table, decorate it, and place the wrapped candy out on the table individually, allowing kids to come up and pick their favorites without touching any other pieces. If you have the time and resources, you could even create small pre-wrapped goodie bags and encourage trick-or-treaters to each take one.
3. Keep it Clean. If you set up a table, put hand sanitizer on it as well. Use it and offer it to others.
4. Forget the Front Door. Having kids come up to your door to get candy will make social distancing tough. The safer bet is to stay outside during trick-or-treating hours so you can greet your neighbors safely from a distance while they get their candy from your table display.
5. Mask Up. Halloween was tailor-made for masks! Make the mask part of your kid's costume. There are hundreds of themed cloth masks out there, Or you can also simply color a medical mask to blend in with their costume!
6. Keep it Local. While the goal most years is to get to as many houses as possible and stuff that bag full of candy, this year it might be best to stay closer to home.
7. Stay Small. If your kids are venturing out in the neighborhood, keep the group small. Maybe you usually head out with a bunch of neighbors, but this year think about keeping it to just one other family for easier social distancing.
8. When in Doubt, Wait it Out. Using individually wrapped Halloween candy helps keep the chances of spreading the coronavirus fairly low. But if you really want to be on the safe side, let your kids trick-or-treat candy sit for 48–72 hours. Keep a small stash of other Halloween candy on hand to offer them that evening instead.
9. Decorate More and Celebrate at Home. If trick-or-treating is just too risky for your family, celebrate at home. Put out more decorations, turn on some Halloween music or movies, and let the good times roll in your own haunted house.
10. Do What Works for Your Family. Bottom line: There is no one right way. As long as you stick to the three main rules — maintain social distancing, wear a mask, and keep hands clean — then the rest is really up to you, your family, and your neighbors.

Community Affairs Officers for 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 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.

Officer Mike Hill is assigned as the Community Affairs officers serving the community in Precinct 2.

If you have a concern affecting your area or would like more information regarding this unit, please contact Officer Mike Hill at Michael.Hill@cobbcounty.org.

Your Precinct 2 Heroes at work:

Homicide Arrest

On 10/27/20 officers responded to Mableton Pkwy regarding a person shot. Once officers arrived, a male victim was located in the apartment with multiple stab wounds. The subject was transported to Grady and later pronounced deceased. During the investigation, the suspect’s vehicle was located nearby with a blood trail leading to an apartment. The responding officers took up positions around the apartment and eventually were able to call the suspect out. The suspect was detained and transported to Crimes Against Persons. Great job by the officers for following up and locating the suspect so quickly!

Traffic Stop/Wanted Person Located/Drug Seized/Stolen Firearm Seized

On 10/07/2020, an officer spotted a vehicle that had several equipment violations making the vehicle barely visible at night. The officer spoke with the driver and was told that she did not have her license with her but provided the officer with a name and date of birth. The name and date of birth were false and were given to conceal the fact that the driver had a suspended license and was wanted on multiple warrants. During the subsequent arrest, Methamphetamines were found on the subject and in her vehicle along with suspected marijuana, packaging and scales used for weighing and distribution, and a Ruger LCP 380 caliber handgun. A further investigation found that the Ruger Handgun was reported as stolen.

There is no such thing as a routine traffic stop!

 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.

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

Please refer your neighbors to sign up for the Police Email Notification System (PENS).

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

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

 

Det. Lieutenant A. Leo
Det. Sergeant M. Nerbonne (Day) 
Det. Sergeant K. Clausen (Evenings)