September open comments

August open comments

July update

As we all know morale is still in the tank and nothing to this point has been done to fix the issues facing the police department.  That being said, there are folks fighting to change that.  I learned yesterday of a meeting that took place between the chief's office and a group of concerned officers from the department.  The chief continues to push for much needed equipment and better pay for our officers.  As has been stated in the news, take home cars are included in the SPLOST list for now.  That's always subject to change however the word is four of our commissioners are in favor of keeping the cars on the list.  While this is a step in the right direction they should start looking for other ways to fund the program without being dependent on SPLOST passing to implement the program.  I'm told the chief is also pushing for educational incentives, shift differential, and tweaking the mandate program to better suit the needs of the department.

An officer submitted an idea the other day while in conversation about ways to change the fate of the police department.  The idea was called a stop-gap measure.  Dekalb PD used this tactic last year with its officers and after hearing the idea it could work if implemented the right way.  It works by giving the officer a lump sum one time payment, i.e. $5000, to stay with the department for one year. That puts money in the officers pocket now and gives the department time to implement more permanent measures to keep the employee at the end of the one year commitment.  This seems like a potentially great program if you can do it the right way.  Rather than giving the lump sum payment based on a percentage of an officers base salary, you keep the amount the same for each officer in the department.  Again I think this is a good idea if you can get a commitment from county leaders to continue to invest in public safety during that year.

The bottom line is we need something to happen now.  Not four to six months down the road.  Our situation worsens daily.  You can say your concerned about public safety all day long but at the end of the day your judged by your actions not your words.  Let's see some action and put cobb back to the front.

Stay safe.

July open comments

Favoritism by the Board of Commissioners

For as long as I can remember the taxpayers in Cobb have been footing the bill for the East Cobber Magazine's annual parade.  For those that are not aware, this parade is held annually in East Cobb of course on Johnson Ferry Road.  Unlike any other parade in Cobb, this parade is done with ON DUTY police personnel as well as ON DUTY Fire and DOT personnel.  All other parades in Cobb are required to adhere to the county ordinance in relation to parades (see cobb ordinance 118-273).  The East Cobber parade not only violates the ordinance every year but it operates the parade at no cost to the owner for county employees appointed to the parade.  With any other parade in Cobb, police officers are hired by the entity wishing to conduct the parade for security, traffic control, or road closures etc.  The East Cobber parade takes around 40 police officers away from their normal duties for this event.  Don't forget the road closure on Johnson Ferry Road either.  That inconveniences thousands of cars along that route for several hours, again at no cost to the East Cobber Magazine.  Numbers have been calculated and presented to the East Cobber Magazine denying the permit in years past due to the high cost to the taxpayers and the rampant disregard for the county ordinance.  It cost Cobb County over $13,000 a year to supply manpower and resources to this private entities parade.  When the parade permit gets denied guess what happens.  That's right folks, the Cobb Board of Commissioners approve the parade anyway.  And you always see one or two commissioners riding in the parade on the back of a convertible waving to the taxpayers that so graciously are paying for said parade.

So how is it that one entity can get free services from the county commissioners and violate the parade ordinance year after year while others are held to the fire in compliance and have to pay for their parade costs?  The answer I guess "its the cobb way"

June open comments

What does it mean to support public safety?

Something has been eating at me for a week or so and I wonder what everyone else thinks…

A week or two ago I responded to a fire in Kennesaw off North Roberts Rd. The Fire Dept had their trucks and equipment in the road and requested Police assistance directing traffic. I noticed one of the businesses located in the same office complex as the fire was Loud Security. But, what I really noticed was that every Loud Security company vehicle had a blue line sticker, blue line tag and on some both.  So I asked around about Loud Security, what I was told is that the owner John Loud is a big time police supporter.  My next question was how so? Well… he puts the blue line stickers and tags on his company vehicles to show support. But what does that really mean? It means he’s pro police!!!  EVERONE is pro police when it benefits them!!!  But what does he do for the “police”? Maybe he makes a donation to some police nonprofit group that calls his office every year. Maybe his business donates money to a police benefit motorcycle ride or maybe he donates to the civic group that feeds the zone officers during Christmas. OR maybe he does it all!! But what’s obvious is he wants everyone to think he’s pro police by putting stickers and tags on his vehicles.  

Here is the rub… do stickers, tags and donations make a company really pro police?

If Mr. Loud and his family were in need of police services in an emergency or non-emergency situation he knows that the Cobb County Police officers will be there, will be professional, and if necessary the officers would risk their lives to protect him and his family.

What about when the Cobb County Police Dept needs Help? John Loud is a very successful and influential businessman in the Cobb Community. Mr. Loud is a big supporter of the Braves coming to Cobb.  Mr. Loud is an influential member of the Cobb Chamber and is the money behind some of the Cobb Commissioners campaigns.   

The Cobb County Police is in crisis… We’re losing officers at an alarming rate. Police moral is the worst I’ve ever seen.  ThePolice Dept has been neglected for years and it has finally caught up with the county. Now the Commissioners are behind the eight ball and have found themselves in a world of poop.  It’s no secret … most of the campaigns are running on Public Safety issues.  

Mr. Loud, there is no 911 for us. So I’m calling you out… you and other local businessmen and women that stand to gain big from the Braves coming to Cobb.  I’m calling you and others like you that profess to be police/public safety supporters to stand up and help us.  We need you NOW!!  And you and others like you know it.

SO… you want to be known as a police supporter? Do you want the support of the police officers? Then don’t just put stickers and tags on company vehicles and make a few donations. Take a few minutes and come to the next County Commission meeting and publicly tell the Commissioners to get off the counties check book and correct the issues running the police dept and theofficer’s moral in the toilet. This County is WEALTHY and the Cobb County Police once was a priority.    

Sticking to the "Cobb Way"

It seems the Board of Commissioners and Hankerson continue to stick to the cobb way of conducting business.  Officers continue to leave the police department in mass while they (the board) act like nothing is wrong.  All the while claiming public safety is a priority to them.  That is a bold faced lie and anyone who does their research can see that.  A few things have bothered me for awhile now.  Have you ever wondered why Hankerson continues to get his contract renewed while the  police officer gets furloughed, insurance premiums increased, equipment in deplorable condition, and the worst morale problem I have ever seen in the department?  Hankerson gets a salary roughly triple that of a 10 year veteran with the department, a take home car, and doesn't have to worry about putting his life on the line everyday he puts on a uniform.  The 10 year veteran has seen a noticeable increase in insurance, poor pay and morale, no take home car, and increased retirement contributions.  Something seems obviously wrong with that picture if you ask me.  Our commissioners make what a veteran officer makes and the commissioner gig is a part time position.  Chairman Tim Lee sits at the throne making about three times what the veteran officer's salary is while claiming county employees should get a fair day's pay for a fair day's work.  Guess what Mr. Lee, if you are a police officer with the Cobb County Police Department that isn't happening.  What is happening is plain to see.  Officers continue to leave the department as fast as they can, equipment is crap, morale is a word that invokes laughter amongst the troops, and the county leadership refuses to acknowledge there is a problem. 

Tim Lee and Joann Birell took two police cars off the road the other day for a photo shoot to show off two new cars purchased to replace the aging police car fleet.  Those two cars weren't able to respond to calls for service just so the board of commissioners could make it appear they cared what was going on in the department.  The new cars being purchased don't do anything to expand the fleet and are too little too late to replace an aging fleet.  The norm for a police car in Cobb today is a high mileage police vehicle with over 120,000 miles and in most cases over 150,000 miles.  Several reports of cars close to 200,000 miles are patrolling Cobb streets.  A major crime or emergency call comes in and you see police officers waiting in the squad room with nowhere to go because they are either waiting for a car to come in or all the cars are at the fleet maintenance center being worked on because they are wore out and old.

The Chief of Police knows the needs of the department and has undoubtedly conveyed this to the public safety director, county manager Hankerson, and the board of commissioners.  He knows what it will take to get the department where it needs to be.  The Chief however is in a position where he cannot make the necessary changes because the board of commissioners are pulling the strings and have better things to do than worry about the public's safety.  I see a big "I told you so" coming for the commissioners and Hankerson in the not so distant future.  I am sure they will find someone else to blame though.  After all that's the Cobb way.

Crime is up and morale is down.  Say cobb is safe all you want to but all you have to do is watch the local news to know that's not truth.  Murders at both malls in Cobb, a mass shooting at a large business, and police officers leaving the county as fast as they can because they can't feed a family on a "fair day's pay".  Something has to change for the better now or this crisis will get out of hand and no amount of attention will get it turned around.  The commissioners and county manager are ruining any chance of turning around the path of public safety in Cobb.  By their actions it seems that is their ultimate goal.

OPEN COMMENTS

Give me a break....

I heard that one of our commissioners was upset because she wasn't given the FOP endorsement and that she had done so much for the police department in past years.  I have news for you commissioner, anything you have done has only helped to put us in the predicament we find ourselves in.  Let's look at what the commissioners have done for the police department:

FURLOUGHS
HIGHER INSURANCE PREMIUMS
PAY COMPRESSION
A LAUGHABLE PAY STUDY TO NOWHERE
A DEPLORABLE POLICE FLEET
MORALE THE WORST WE HAVE EVER SEEN

I think you get the point.  I don't know what rock the commissioner climbed under but they would serve themselves well to get their head out of the sand and prioritize.  Or you can always put in an application for police officer if you are unseated in the upcoming election.  I hear we are hiring.

This about sums it up MUST READ

From an anonymous contributor:
"It's funny that you mention that you were only able to stomach half the video. I could barely make it through the entire video.  When Mickey "I got a Silver Star" Lloyd was the public safety director he never sent out any propaganda videos.  But then again everyone knew just where he stood as far as things went.  As long as he got what he wanted, hey all was well right?  I guess Ol' Sammy Boy is a little more technically savvy and he really feels that he is reaching out and bonding with his video.  Oh but let me back up a little bit, director Heaton did a survey too....oh yippee...he did a survey to find out things that were already known because of Director Forsythe.  Hey Mr. Hankerson I got an idea I'll do a survey ....wink.....wink....also known as a stall tactic.
You heard that he went to the FOP meeting and said he would support the police department you say.  I heard he went to the FOP meeting and dodged every question that was thrown at him.  Kind of like that SNL spoof...we're working hard and we're putting in late hours....blah...blah....blah!  I have a question for everyone out there...do you think that "Director Heaton" would've been suggested as a replacement for Director Forsythe if he was not a company man?  I think of it like this...Forsythe's seat wasn't even cold before they (the commissioners and Hankerson) wanted to put Ol' Sammy Boy in the seat.  If you watch the video and look closely you can see the curtain move behind Heaton.  You can also hear Hankerson clear his throat in another effort to throw his voice.  Hello...hello...puppet....that's my point!.... Heaton is nothing more than a puppet in the political game.  Uh oh... I got a great idea...in an effort to save the county money do this....see we have to do a pay study even though there has been more than enough information provided to Hankerson and the commissioners.....I say get rid of Heaton and use his salary to pay for part of the pay study...the position that Heaton holds is useless...it is controlled by Hankerson and Heaton has no power.....lets face it...Hankerson probably tried to hold Forsythe' s head down into the Kool-Aid trough.  Imagine Hankerson standing on the back of Forsythe's head pushing it down into a trough of Kool-Aid labeled the "Cobb Way".  Forsythe wasn't going to have it...but imagine this....Heaton picks the trough up and says, hey Mr. Hankerson look at me, as he tips the entire trough of "Cobb Way" Kool-Aid back...Lets face it Heaton is a fireman...always has been and always will be...we don't need a fireman over the police and the fireman don't want a policeman over them....you may say hey....Mickey "I got a Silver Star" Lloyd" was a policeman and he was over the fire department....I say this....as long as Mickey got what he wanted he didn't bother the fire department and nor did he care about the police department....
Some of you may say wow...you're negative...I bow respectfully and say you have your opinion...with respect I say that Heaton has had a his chance and he has shown nothing...when Hankerson says hey, Ol' Sammy boy jump.....Heaton asks, oh...oh... how high sir?  The bottom line is this... Heaton is a "puppet" and is only worried about himself...maybe even the fire department... who came blame him after all he is a fireman...he doesn't give one care about the police department and you cannot convince me otherwise....do I knock him for being a fireman? no absolutely not... that is all he knows....for Christ sake look at his ending message on the video... he talks about replacing batteries in a smoke detector....that's his closing...that's what matters most because in closing you wrap it all up right...? talk about what's important...again what was his closing?....batteries in smoke detectors....WOW...where is my free toaster?
I don't know all the answers but I do know this....then men and women who put on a badge and a gun and do their jobs as Cobb County Police Officers deserve better....I salute you....each and every one of you have the other police departments... looking like they are going in slow motion....you don't even think about the bull s #&% that's being handed down as you work your shifts...these lambs in Cobb County have no idea of the awesome men and women that keep the wolves at bay...I STRONGLY FEEL WITHOUT A DOUBT....that the men and women of the Cobb County Police Department deserve better across the board...shame on you Heaton....I do not buy your propaganda (and nor do the men and women of the Cobb County Police Department)....do what is right and quit looking out after yourself....step up and challenge Hankerson and the commissioners and fight for the Police if you have it in you!"

Thoughts from Director Heaton's latest update?

Director Heaton recently released the second installment of his public safety update.  In it he outlined recent changes implemented and changes to look forward to.  He mentioned movement within the department and changes in how information is spread throughout the department.  He also touched on the loss of 70 officers last year and where those 70 losses came from.  In it he made it a point to mention that only 11 officers left for other departments.  Regardless of where the manpower is going, it seems to me it is a mute point.  The fact remains they left and there are no incentives for keeping them from leaving.  Director Heaton also mentioned the "pay and compensation study".  We all know this process is a farce on the county managements part to stall.  No one believes they will implement the findings in the first place and if they do they will do it county wide because that's the "cobb way."  Maybe the ditch digger can pick up a gun and fill a beat if that's what the county is going to compare us to.  Anyways, how does everyone else feel about the recent video and the current state of affairs at the moment?

more coverage in the MDJ

If you haven't had a chance to view it yet, there is a good column in the Marietta Daily Journal by Mike Boyce.  The column details some of the issues facing the Police Department and seems to hint that public support is growing as we expected it would. 

recent comments

"Can someone explain why the Chief told Tim Lee that the 40 positions would help morale. It's not making me feel any better about things. Please help me understand"

"Well, unfortunately it appears that they genuinely do not care. You risk everything doing something you love and the only people who care are those to your left and right. Going upstairs to type my resignation letter..."

"I wanted to offer some of my thoughts on the new "plan".

1. The BOC approving 40 more positions is almost comical. That allows us to go from 70+ vacancies, to 110+ vacant slots. This solves none of the identified issues. In the long term, I think we'll need the additional manpower, but this is pointless at this time. Knowing the time frame to fill the vacant slots, the BOC is offering an item that will cost them nothing for at least 18-24months if we only hire new officers and lose no one else for the next 2 years.

2. The county routinely bought 30 +/- cars a year. For the past few years however they have gotten away from that. The fleet is now in shambles; with constant maintenance issues on high mileage cars and too few vehicles. Most of the cars being purchased are coming from last years budget, so again the BOC is minimizing their cost. This is a small step that barely addresses the condition of the fleet. It is money they have to spend and does not improve any of the identified retention issues.

3. The pay study is a waste of time and money. They haven't used the last pay study they did. We just got our first raise in years; the need is clear. The study they need to look into is why we have multi-million dollar surpluses, yet the county is in headed towards fiscal shambles by neglecting legitimate needs.

4. We have been told for almost a year that plates/helmets were coming. As usual the county keeps making promises of things we never see.

5. Officers buying their own rifles? While this county should be able to afford rifles for officers, I actually like the opportunity to buy my own rifle. Same as point 4 though...we've heard this for years w/ no follow through.

6. Studying assigned cars? See point 4 and 5 for why this will never happen. This is a noncommittal political answer to make it appear something is being done. Do they really think we're that dumb?

7. When I came to Cobb as a lateral, it was primarily due to its reputation. Money etc was important, but I would not have left my department for the Cobb we now have. The best recruiting tool we had was being the best most professional department w/ squared away officers. Tattoos, etc opens up our pool of candidates but to what avail? When I came 10 years ago, there was a line to get in the door; not us trying to figure out how to beg people to come.

Our current state reminds me of a Teddy Roosevelt quote- "The best thing you can do is the right thing. The next best thing you can do is the wrong thing. The worst thing you can do is nothing.". The county has been doing nothing for far too long."

" County Managements True Colors 1

Wow! What a way to add insult to injury. Lets consider the proposal of the County Commissioners as stated by Director Heaton:
Items Approved:
Immediate (the numbers in parenthesis coincide with issues addressed)
1. The BOC will be asked to approve 40 additional police officer positions next week. This will help us to begin moving forward with a commitment toward 10-hour shifts. (1,2,4) **An additional 40 officers will need to be approved in the future to meet the staffing needs to meet the 10-hour shift transition. This will also allow us to begin re-staffing our specialty units.

This is nothing more than political sidestepping. There is no immediate cost to the county because the positions will not be filled. It is not possible with our current manpower deficit. This means nothing.
2. Thirty –seven patrol cars (Ford Interceptors) have been ordered and are scheduled to arrive in March. This order is to replace the order that was cancelled by the manufacturer last year. Another eight patrol cars has been approved for FY 14 along with twenty-two detective cars. We have support for adding additional cars to the police fleet as the 10-hour shifts take place in the Precincts. This will prevent officers from waiting on vehicles at the Precincts. This will also begin building a fleet for an assigned cars program if deemed appropriate. (1,2,5)

These were already approved in the budget, and frankly 37 cars will not replace enough of the old cars that have become increasingly dangerous for our officers to drive. The bottom line is that they were going to have to buy these anyway, but putting this out there makes it look like the commissioners are doing something for public safety. No additional cost to the county.

3. Pay and Compensation Study – A county-wide pay and class study will be performed this year which will include all positions and will compare all benefits including annul leave, sick leave, holidays, health dental, long term disability, retirement, tuition reimbursement, education, shift differential, assigned vehicles, etc. (1,2,3,4)

This one really gets me. “County wide pay study”, that is just what we needed. Public Safety does not need a “County wide pay study”. Public Safety needs a “Public Safety Pay Study”. We are not losing librarians and water department employees by the dozens. We are losing police officers. No more studies. Get it done! The end result of the last pay study is what we have now. Does that sound like a waste of money to you? Officers are leaving and this is the bottom line reason. This department will be terminal before a pay study can be completed. Cost the county $1 million plus.  "

" County Managements True Colors 2

4. An RFP is out for Ballistic Plates, Ballistic helmets, and ballistic plate carriers.

Already approved and taking forever! While this is great equipment for our officers it does nothing for retention or recruiting. No help. Very little cost to the county.

5. Working to supply all officers a patrol rifle and allow a buying program to allow officers to buy the patrol rifles through payroll deductions. This does not cost the county anything if it is a buy back.

This is also taking forever and is great equipment but again does nothing for retention or recruiting. No help. Cost the county nothing.

6. Develop a plan/procedure for assigned cars to include cost analysis and an advantages/disadvantages list. The plan will include all issues including any additional fleet costs, liability of the county for officers going to and from home, pay and workers comp issue, etc., and this program will be presented and discussed with the County Manager for possible adoption.

This is good but just talk. There was the same kind of planning in the early 1990’s when the commissioners were considering the purchase of a helicopter for an air unit. It was just talk then too. This again costs the county nothing.

7.Evaluation of our current recruiting, hiring, and training practices as compared to other departments in the metro Atlanta area and make necessary changes. Some issues include tattoos, lateral entry training, recruit losses during training, etc. (4)

LOL (laugh out loud for those of you without teenage girls) You could stand at our recruiting table naked and still wouldn’t attract any attention. It’s not about problems with our recruiting, hiring or training practices. Why does this continue to fall on deaf ears? It’s about incentives like money, insurance benefits, retirement and work hours all of which were pointed out by the previous survey. Once again no cost to the county.

Let’s recap. The only thing on the list of approved items that cost the county any real money is the County Wide Pay Study. A pay study that, as we have seen in the past, the county management controls the outcome of. The county management is willing to pay what I am certain will be more that $1 million dollars for a study. What will this study do one might ask. First, it will buy time for the county management. The study will take the rest of this year and it could take as long as another year to implement, if ever. Secondly, it gives the public the false perception that the county management is taking proactive steps to address the pay issue of the police department. This study will do nothing to benefit the officers of the police department. As a veteran of many years with the police department it is very disheartening to see this lackadaisical approach by the county management to a very serious problem. This is a failure of epic proportions. The county management has once again shown its true colors. "

Keep the pressure on

The news from last nights commission meeting has gotten out by now I am sure.  I want to touch on a few key points.

First, it was great to see everyone at the meeting showing the support needed to make MAJOR changes to the Police Department.  Without YOU nothing will change and the county manager and commissioners will continue to run this department into the ground.  You have to continue to be vigilant in the efforts to force change.  Thank you to all the speakers who reached out to county leaders on our behalf.  Your efforts are greatly appreciated.

2nd,  Tim Lee is a huge jack wagon.  The way he belittles citizens with his snide remarks is very unprofessional.  The citizens of Cobb should demand that man's job for just the way he talks down to people as if he is any better than the next guy or gal.

3rd,  Nothing in this latest vote to add 40 additional police officers will change anything at the department.  40 additional funded positions will only add to the vacancies we cannot fill now.  I hate to sound like a broken record here but the fact remains,  pay SUCKS,  benefits SUCK, and we continue to fall behind the curve with equipment.  Without addressing those issues there will be no real change and things will only continue to deteriorate within the Police Department.  Acting like 40 more police positions is the answer to the problem for the news media is a diversion tactic to draw attention away from the real issues.  The commissioners did absolutely NOTHING last night to help morale in the department. 

4th,  I want to take this time to address a rumor I heard recently.  Word is there are talks of a blue flu on the horizon among a large part of the department.  This is NOT a good idea.  It is not for many reasons.  Mainly because we are all professionals at the department and that is a very UNPROFESSIONAL move.  If that were to happen we would be no better than a certain commission chair belittling a citizen wishing to speak or bashing a boy scout troop who wished to thank his mom for her support (good one Mr. Lee).  We must continue to remain the professionals that we are and continue to spread the word on the crisis we face.  Public support continues to grow and a blue flu would only do harm to our efforts.

5th,  this was only the opening round in what will continue to be a fight for a better working environment at the Cobb Police Department.  Again we must continue the efforts for a better department. 

I would like to hear from you all on the issues.  Please feel free to comment and for those Rusty Shackleford types such as myself your comments are anonymous.  That in mind keep it clean and above the belt.  Be safe out there.

Sunday AJC article

Well it looks as if someone has finally exposed Hankerson for the liar that he really is.  He tells everyone public safety is a priority to him while he is blasting the public safety director for putting the Police Department's needs on paper where he cannot sweep them under the rug.  It is a well known fact Hankerson despises the Police Department and has held it back for years now.  Team him up with Commission Chairman Tim Lee and you have a dream team for ruining the Police Department.  Their motto is keep your head in the sand and the problem should go away with time.  I have news for them, this problem is way out of hand and keeping your head buried will only make it worse.  Cheap attempts at stalling aren't going to work either.  Real efforts need to be made to get the Police Department back to where it needs to be and Hankerson and Lee both now it.  I guarantee you if the Police Department was the one needing mules for police work they never would have been purchased in the first place by Hankerson.  Shame on Hankerson and Lee for telling the public there is nothing wrong while there are mountains of documentation to prove otherwise.  Not to mention the 70 plus officers that left last year because of the issues.  I guess as long as Hankerson gets his bonus every year and Lee can continue to lie to the public there really isn't a problem in their minds.

Saturday's Marietta Daily Journal

The FOP published an ad in today's MDJ detailing the issues facing us in the Department.  If you haven't seen it go to the MDJ website and check it out.  Keep the pressure on and continue to fight for a better Police Department.  I also hear there will be front page coverage in the Sunday AJC.  Keep spreading the word and continue to do the professional job you always do.  Stay Safe.

OPEN COMMENTS

Just when you thought things couldn't get worse

It absolutely blows my mind how clueless the County Manager and Board of Commissioners are at this point.  After reading the email from Director Heaton yesterday detailing the Commissioners plans to improve the department I am at a loss for words.  You have a huge problem on your hands and you counter it by saying you are going to authorize 40 more police officers, 37 more patrol cars, and a pay and compensation study.  Where do I begin?

40 more officers authorized?  That means 40 more vacancies on top of the 60 plus we have now.  We can't fill the open positions we have now due to the situation we are in and you want to add more vacancies?  Great idea.  37 new patrol cars isn't a drop in the bucket.  We have countless vehicles in the fleet with over 100,000 miles tasked with patrol duties.  That equals a huge risk for not only the officer driving it but the motoring public as well.  37 new cars will not make a dent in the disrepair our fleet is in.  A pay and compensation study again?  How many studies do our county manager and commissioners need to look at before they realize they are wasting tax payers money to tell them the Police Department needs a considerable raise to stay competitive with other agencies?  The writing is on the wall in every officer that leaves this department.  They are all leaving for better pay, better benefits, take home cars etc.  That all equals money in the pocket to which Cobb says we will continue to waste money training these officers to watch them leave for better pay.  A pay study is a cheap stall tactic the county likes to use to kick the can down the road with no hope of change.

The county manager and board of commissioners claim they are supportive of public safety and it is a top priority in Cobb.  This plan shows us that is exactly the opposite.  Their priority is obviously to continue the status quo and keep the Department in a crisis.  Why invest in your Police Department when you can spend the money at will in other ventures?  That seems to be their thought process for the past several years.

Kudos to the Chief and Public Safety Director for telling the county manager and commissioners what is needed to keep this place afloat.  Shame on the county manager and commissioners for turning a blind eye.

Again I can not express how important the February 25 commission meeting is.  Be there to support public safety and let our county leaders know they are being held accountable for the welfare of Cobb public safety. 

February Commissioner's meeting and other news

The Cobb County Board of Commissioner's meeting will be held February 25th at 1900 hours.  As we all know the January meeting was cancelled due to inclement weather.  Speakers are scheduled to speak on behalf of the Department of Public Safety.  We all need to rally together and show support for the Department and those who are fighting to make the needed changes to get Cobb Police back to where it needs to be.  If you sit on the sidelines and do nothing then you can expect things to stay the same and continue to deteriorate.  Bring your family and friends with you to show support.  It is easy to get discouraged and throw in the towel, but I implore you to stay the course and continue to strive for a better department that we all know can exist and once did.  Rome wasn't built in a day and neither was the situation that we find ourselves in at the moment.  However with significant changes this department can get back on track to be one of the greatest departments in the country once again.

It has been brought to our attention that the Commissioner's are planning on recognizing members of our department for work done in deteriorated areas in the county.  It has a hint of suspicion due to the fact the event was planned the day of the January meeting.  Nonetheless we all know why we are at the meeting and should remain professional and refrain from taking the low road if in fact the event was planned to draw attention away from the real issues facing our department. 

I learned Dunwoody Police is looking to hire 5 new officers in the very near future and 7 more by the start of summer.  Word around town is they are actively recruiting Cobb PD officers for their training and experience.  The same trend seems to continue.  Other agencies such as Roswell PD are also looking for officers.  One can only hope things change for the better soon around Cobb or it would stand to reason we will keep hemorrhaging well trained and experienced officers to other agencies for the same old reasons:  better pay, take home cars, better benefits, etc.

We have become victims of our own success when it comes to the problem facing our department.  We do more with less and remain professional in the face of manpower shortages, deteriorated equipment, poor morale, etc.  Yet we continue to get the job done and keep the ship afloat.  That is until a major event such as an officer involved shooting show how understaffed our department is and what deplorable conditions our equipment is in.  Not enough cars to adequately respond to an officer in need is a serious issue.  Pulling cars off an active manhunt for a potential cop killer to change out personnel is alarming to say the least.  Officers stacked four to a car being shuttled back and forth without all the gear necessary to adequately do their job.  That's not exactly what someone would expect to see from Cobb County. 

 It seems attacks on Police Officers are up in recent weeks.  Remember to watch each others backs and go home at the end of the day.  Your safety is paramount in the game we play.  Keep your heads on a swivel and back each other up. 

Recent news

As we all know one of our own was shot and wounded in the line of duty yesterday.  It was good to see everyone rally and find the trash responsible for the attack.  Even with the problems facing us within the department we still continue to show that we are the best in the country at doing our chosen profession.

On that note I will also point out it was aggravating to hear that our brothers and sisters did not have enough vehicles available to them to respond to the scene to assist with the manhunt.  It is a shame that a county as large as Cobb fails to emphasize the importance of a well equipped and sufficiently staffed police force to deal with major incidents such as the one the department encountered yesterday morning.  What will it take to make our county leaders see that our department is at critical levels with staffing and equipment?  Our Chief and Director have certainly made this abundantly clear to the leaders in Cobb but it appears to be falling on deaf ears thus far.

Officers continue to leave for better paying jobs with a take home car and better benefits.  It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see Cobb will continue to fall to the rear as long as the status quo is maintained.  It's hard to fault someone for leaving with the current state of affairs at the police department.  We all agree no one gets into law enforcement to get rich but you do expect to be able to pay bills and provide for a family.  I have been informed that several officers within the department are watching to see what will happen at the board of commissioners meeting on February 25.  One can only hope our county leaders are making public safety a priority.

Continue to support your Chief and Public Safety Director as they fight for the department and it's CRITICAL needs.  In the meantime keep your heads on a swivel and watch each others backs.  The most important thing is to go home at the end of your shift.  Stay safe.

The ship appears to continue sinking

Unconfirmed reports suggest three more officers are leaving the Police Department in the near future for the same reasons we keep losing experienced and well trained officers (better base pay, take home car program, better benefits etc.)  It is yet to be seen if the County leaders will address this issue and get Cobb County Public Safety back to where it needs to be.  I would like to hear from the masses on what they think it might to take to get Cobb Public Safety back where it needs to be.

Please leave comments and suggestions here.  Remember Cobb County public safety used to be the leader in the metro Atlanta area.  Let's fight to make it that way once again.