FREE VOLUME 24 NUMBER 31
SEPTEMBER 22, 2018
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Serving DeKalb, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry and Rockdale Counties
Rockdale sheriff’s deputy arrested for stealing guns, still under investigation in Shali Tilson case By Valerie J. Morgan
Photo by Glenn L. Morgan
SPLOST AT WORK
DeKalb begins repaving worst roads, buys 60 new police and fire vehicles Local Maintenance and Improvement Grant. Thurmond also introduced a SPLOST public education campaign and announced that the eKalb County is putting its one-cent county is investing $8 million in SPLOST fundSpecial Purpose Local Option Sales ing to purchase 60 new public safety vehicles Tax (SPLOST) to work. and emergency equipment. The county has begun repaving the “The addition of new public safety vehicles first of more than 300 miles of the worst streets and equipment will improve public safety, deand roads with funding generated from SPLOST, crease response times and deliver significant cost which was overwhelmingly approved by voters savings to the county,” Thurmond said. in November 2017. The DeKalb County Police Department has “I want to thank the voters, who entrusted purchased 50 police patrol vehicles equipped their government to responsibly use their tax with advanced safety features and technologies dollars to improve infrastructure throughout the that allow full integration with the county’s county,” DeKalb CEO Michael Thurmond said emergency dispatch center and officer bodyduring a Sept 20 news conference. “Today, we worn cameras. are fulfilling our promise to resurface county Expected to be in service by the end of streets, and there is much more to come.” September, each 2018 Chevrolet Tahoe costs The county kicked off the first project of the approximately $61,000 and will be used as $9.48 million initial SPLOST paving contract officer take-home vehicles to increase communiby repairing one of DeKalb’s badly deteriorated ty visibility and reduce crime. Additionally, the roads, West Lakeside Drive in South DeKalb. new patrol vehicles feature push bumpers, which Contractor crews will use approximately 400 allows officers to remove disabled vehicles from tons of material to mill the road, patch, and reroadways to expedite traffic flow. surface, resulting in a smooth and safe street. The county will purchase an additional 50 DeKalb County Commissioner Larry Johnpatrol vehicles in 2018. son, thanked the CEO for choosing West Lake “The purchase of this much-needed emerDrive, which is in Johnson’s District 3, to launch gency equipment supports DeKalb County first the county’s repaving projects. responders’ ability to effectively and safely do “District 3 folks just want to thank you for their jobs,” said Joseph “Jack” H. Lumpkin, deppicking us first,” said Johnson, acknowledging uty chief operating officer of public safety. that West Lake Drive is in the community where The DeKalb County Fire Rescue Department two police officers lost their lives in January purchased 10 rapid response vehicles fully 2008. The lake, he said, honors DeKalb Police equipped to respond to emergency medical calls Officers Eric Barker, 33, and Ricky Bryant, and fire suppression. Rapid response vehicles are Jr.,26, who were ambushed and shot to death smaller and are less expensive to operate than while they were working as security guards at a larger fire trucks. high crime apartment complex. Both police offiEach outfitted vehicle costs $190,000, nearly cers were married and both had four children. 30 percent lower than the cost of a larger fire Johnson said he is excited about the county’s truck. Rapid response vehicles will capture plans to fix its potholes and repair a number of approximately 3,500 calls annually. The full fleet roads with the SPLOST funding. of rapid response vehicles will be in service by “I remember there was a time when we March 2019, with two added to each county fire only had money to do 20 miles per year and station. we would have to tell residents ‘We only have The Fire Department also purchased 313 enough to do 20,’ but we had 400 miles of needs. Motorola two-way radios specifically designed Now, with this process—with this penny (from for firefighting situations. The radios include imSPLOST), you’re going to help us pave almost proved safety features such as bigger buttons for 300,” Johnson told Thurmond at the news congloved hands, brighter color for better visibility ference. “…This is just a down payment from and Bluetooth capability. our voters.” DeKalb County will receive an estimated DeKalb’s Board of Commissioner’s presid$388 million in SPLOST revenue over the next ing officer Jeff Rader said the SPLOST funding six years to improve county roads, infrastructure, gives the county “a great opportunity now to and public safety. Additional public safety make up for lost time.” improvements include upgrading the fire radio The Board of Commissioners approved the system, repairing police precincts and fire initial paving contract on July 24, using SPLOST stations and designing a new public safety and the Georgia Department of Transportation training facility.
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By Valerie J. Morgan
T
he former Rockdale County Sheriff’s deputy who falsified jail logs stating mandatory checks were made on Shali Tilson, a mentally ill man who died while in the custody of jail in March, has been arrested in an unrelated case. Dan Lang was charged with stealing guns from the evidence room and pawning them for cash. A warrant was issued for Lang’s arrest and he turned himself in to the Rockdale County Jail on Sept. 20 without incident, authorities said. The Georgia Bureau of Investigations said Lang was charged with multiple violations of theft by taking firearms in excess of $40,000 and one count of violation of the oath of office. Lang, 37, was a sergeant in the Property and Evidence Unit at the Sheriff’s Office. The 15-year veteran was demoted to corporal after an audit and internal investigation found that he had taken guns from the unit and sold them rather than destroy them as ordered. Lang was transferred to the Jail Division in November during the internal investigation. Lang was demoted from sergeant to corporal on March 26, 2018. He resigned on April 9 after his supervisors recommended termination after he allegedly lied to internal investigators that the mandatory 15-minute checks were made on 22-year-old Tilson,
Dan Lang
who was on suicide watch in the jail. An autopsy report found that Tilson, who was arrested on March 2, died of dehydration on March 12. On the day he died, he had cried out for help to no avail and pressed a call button in his cell that didn’t work, according to an internal investigation. Lang and other deputies found Tilson’s body in his cell and one of them fired a taser away from Tilson to see if he was alive or sleeping, according to internal reports. Attorney Mawuli Davis, who is representing the Tilson family, said the family was trying to make bail for Tilson while he was locked up on misdemeanor charges. They are devastated over the loss of Tilson and have expressed their outrage over the neglect Tilson suffered while in jail. The family and supporters held a prayer vigil on Sept. 15 outside the Rockdale County Jail to remember Tilson. The vigil marked six months since Tilson died. Rockdale County District Attorney Alisha Johnson is now investigating the Tilson case.
Federal judge denies paper ballots for Georgia’s November’s elections
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By Valerie J. Morgan
federal judge has ruled that Georgia voters will not use paper ballots during the November election, despite objections from voting rights groups and activists who are concerned the state’s electronic voting system could be hacked. U.S. District Judge Amy Totenberg said on Monday that switching to a paper ballot verification system just weeks before the election would be chaotic. In her 46-page ruling Totenberg agreed that Georgia
SEE VOTING page 6