December 2018

Welcome to the December 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

Holiday Safety Tips

The holiday season is always a special time of year. It is also a time when busy people become careless and vulnerable to theft and other holiday crime. We can never be too careful, too prepared, or too aware. Please share this information with family, friends, and neighbors. The Cobb County Police Department wishes you a safe, happy, and peaceful holiday season.

Driving / Parking

• Avoid driving alone or at night.
• Keep all car doors locked and windows closed while in or out of your car. Set your alarm or use an anti-theft device.
• If you must shop at night, park in a well-lighted area.
• Avoid parking next to vans, trucks with camper shells, or cars with tinted windows.
• Park as close as you can to your destination and take notice of where you parked.
• Never leave your car unoccupied with the motor running or with children inside.
• Do not leave packages or valuables on the seat of your car. This creates a temptation for thieves. If you must leave something in the car, lock it in the trunk or put it out of sight.
• Be sure to locate your keys prior to going to your car.
• Keep a secure hold on your purse, handbag, and parcels. Do not put them down or on top of the car in order to open the door.
• When approaching or leaving your vehicle, be aware of your surroundings.
• Do not approach your car alone if there are suspicious people in the area.
• Ask mall or store security for an escort before leaving your shopping location.

Shopping

• Shop during daylight hours whenever possible. If you must shop at night, go with a friend or family member.
• Dress casually and comfortably.
• Avoid wearing expensive jewelry.
• Do not carry a purse or wallet, if possible.
• Always carry your Driver License or Identification Card along with necessary cash, checks and/or a credit card you expect to use.
• Even though you are rushed and thinking about a thousand things, stay alert to your surroundings.
• Avoid carrying large amounts of cash.
• Pay for purchases with a check or credit card when possible.
• Keep cash in your front pocket.
• Notify the credit card issuer immediately if your credit card is lost, stolen, or misused.
• Keep a record of all of your credit card numbers in a safe place at home.
• Be extra careful if you do carry a wallet or purse. They are the prime targets of criminals in crowded shopping areas, transportation terminals, bus stops, on buses and other rapid transit.
• Avoid overloading yourself with packages. It is important to have clear visibility and freedom of motion to avoid mishaps.
• Beware of strangers approaching you for any reason. At this time of year, "con-artists" may try various methods of distracting you with the intention of taking your money or belongings.

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

Entering Auto/Apprehension

Precinct 2 officers responded to a theft in progress at a local hotel. The night manager saw a subject breaking in to several vehicles on the lot. The manager gave a description of the vehicle and the suspects. Officer Turner spotted a vehicle exiting the area and initiated a traffic stop. Through investigation, both the female driver and the male passenger were arrested for entering autos, loitering/prowling, and the female driver was additionally charged with driving with a suspended license.

Criminal Trespass

Precinct 2 officers were initially dispatched to a burglary in progress. Dispatch advised a description of a subject that had entered the house of the victim. FTO Galloway and Recruit Dillett spotted the subject walking down Old Alabama Rd. near the incident scene. The subject was detained and then a show up was conducted and the victim positively identified the subject as the one that unlawfully entered his home. The subject was extremely intoxicated and thought he was inside of a family member’s home. The subject had removed a screen from the side of the house and made entry. He then walked to a back bedroom where he attempted to get in bed, but was confronted by the homeowner. The subject left the residence where he was summarily found by responding officers. He was arrested and charged with criminal trespass.

Aggravated Assault

Precinct 2 officers were dispatched to a private residence in reference to the report of a female who had been shot. Upon Officers arrival, they heard several more gunshots from around the area of the residence. Officers pressed and made entry into the home. Officer R.C. Jones extricated 1 female juvenile. Two other female juveniles and one male 17 year old were able to walk out and left the residence to a staging area. A Hispanic female victim was located inside the residence with a gunshot wound to her abdomen. The female was stable and responsive. FTO B. Jones began rendering first aid to the female victim. An adult male, who is the suspect, was located in the woods adjacent to the residence with a gunshot wound to his chest by Officers Sweeny, Turner, Adams, Galloway, and Knight. Officer Knight began life saving efforts by applying chest seals to the suspect. The male was unresponsive. Fire Rescue Personnel began treating the injured parties and Puckett Ambulance took both victim and suspect to the Hospital. The two patients were reported to be in stable condition.

These are only a few examples that demonstrate the hard work and professionalism exhibited by the officers of Precinct 2 on a daily basis.

Community Affairs Officers for Precinct 2

Officer O'Hara 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 O'Hara or Conwell.

Officers O'Hara and Conwell can be reached via email at Sarah.O’Hara@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.

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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)