VOLUME 22 NUMBER 20
FREE
AUGUST 20 2016
Published Since April 1995 Serving DeKalb, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry and Rockdale Counties • www.facebook.com/ocgnews
DeKalb police implement leadership training to rebuild public’s trust
T
he DeKalb County Police Department is receiving customized training that county officials hope will build trust between citizens and the police, thanks to a new partnership with Dale Carnegie of Georgia training program. DeKalb leaders, including Deputy Chief Operating Officer of Public Safety Cedric Alexander, DeKalb Police Chief James Conroy and Interim CEO Lee May, discussed the new training program at a press conference held on Aug. 18. Alexander, who was selected by President Obama for the President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing, helped DeKalb Interim CEO Lee May discusses recent training received by the Police Department’s command staff, as DeKalb County Police Chief James Conroy, Dale Carnegie Training of Geordeveloped the “pillars” for the gia CEO Wendy Johnson and Deputy COO for Public Safety Cedric Alexander look on. training program. The Presito include co-workers and communi- dations and actions items to create a dent’s task force was established to ty members, and managing diversity. roadmap for improved law enforcestrengthen community policing and The six pillars included ment. trust among law enforcement offi•Building trust and legitimacy “President Obama’s Task Force cers and the communities they serve •Policy and oversight on 21st Century Policing developed after several police involved shoot•Technology and social media several recommendations based ings across the nation. The training •Community policing and crime on six pillars. This training is part focused on leadership styles, unreduction of our efforts to incorporate those derstanding different personalities •Training and education recommendations into the everyday and traits, applying new methods of •Officer wellness and safety police operations for the DeKalb understanding to interact with others Each pillar contains recommenCounty Police Department,” said
May. “We are doing some tremendous things, from investing heavily in police body cameras to focusing on law enforcement policies and crisis intervention training. We are doing those proactive things in our police department to be forward-thinking, and hopefully, other departments, communities, cities and counties around the country will take note and even duplicate what we are doing.” Wendy Johnson, president of Dale Carnegie of Georgia, said law enforcement in DeKalb is now building bridges in the community with their new Dale Carnegie tools. “Our goal is to train officers on proven methods to improve communications and human relations in order to build trust within the community,” Johnson said. Chief Conroy said it is imperative that police develop new strategies for public safety. Events across the country in the past couple of years require a new way of policing and a new way of communicating. “Strong relationships between law enforcement agencies and the community that they serve is essential for public safety,” said Conroy. “This new relationship is built on trust, transparency and credibility.”
City of Decatur offers amnesty program to traffic violators The City of Decatur Municipal Court is offering amnesty to those who have past due traffic citations or active bench warrants for failure to appear in court. The city’s amnesty program runs Aug. 15 through Oct. 15. It is important to note that a failure to appear in court may have resulted in a driver’s license suspension. The goal and purpose of the amnesty program is to help restore as many drivers as possible to legal status to drive on Georgia roadways, and to avoid more harm to their driving history with additional charges and fines. Amnesty will save individuals money because warrant and other
fees, if any, will be waived. Individuals with outstanding violations may walk in to the City of Decatur Municipal Court, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., during the amnesty period. Walk-ins also are permitted on Saturday, Oct. 8, 9 to 11:30 a.m., to resolve their outstanding violations without facing any additional charges or costs. Any person with a failure to appear warrant, which resulted in a license suspension, who pays the fine to resolve the original citation violation, will receive documentation to submit to the Department of Drivers Services to have their driver’s license reinstated.
If the original violation, such as DUI, driving on a suspended license, or no insurance, requires a mandatory court appearance, individuals should appear on Amnesty Saturday, Oct. 8. The court encourages anyone who believes they may have an outstanding matter in the City of Decatur Municipal Court to take advantage of the Amnesty Program. The City of Decatur Municipal Court is located at 420 W. Trinity Place, Decatur. For more information, call 678-553-6655 or visit the city’s website at https://www.decaturga.com/city-government/city-departments/municipal-court/2016-amnesty-program
House study committee seeks to expand minority participation in film industry
S
tate lawmakers will explore ways to encourage minority participation in Georgia’s film and television production industry with the appointment of a new House study committee. Speaker of the House David Ralston (R-Blue Ridge) has appointed the following members to the House Study Committee on Georgia Minority Participation in the Film & Television Production Industry:
Rep. “Able” Mable Thomas – Chair (D-Atlanta) Rep. Patty Bentley (D-Butler) Rep. James Beverly (D-Macon) Rep. Pam Dickerson (D-Conyers) Rep. Brett Harrell (R-Snellville) Rep. Calvin Smyre (D-Columbus) ·Rep. Ron Stephens (R-Savannah) The study committee was created by House Resolution 1577.