A perspective from a South Precinct crime victim, courtesy of the blog
South DeKalb.
"Policing"
"A friend of mine had his home broken into recently. The police responded and we started talking about police coverage where he lives. What he told me was astonishing. He said on any given night there are four cars patrolling an area from Moreland Avenue to Wesley Chapel/Flakes Mill Rd south of I-20. Yea that’s a huge area. I was shocked that an area that is so huge would have only four cars. My first instinct was to think the officer was exaggerating, but when a second car showed up, he said the same thing without knowing what we and the previous officer had spoken about. After a little bit of searching, I found this map of the South Precinct. If these divisions represent individual beats within the precinct, then I can see how its possible for only four cars to patrol the area. But even worse is that these same areas are becoming crime-ridden but a surge in police coverage has not kept pace. It seems to me that the police are in a respond to incidents stage than proactively policing areas that are vulnerable to criminal activity".
34 comments:
All that tax money, all those officers, massive county government, and you have worse coverage than a rural sheriff's department or a small city.
And you wonder why people who actually pay taxes ditch the county police for their own.
Call 911 in Dunwoody or Alpharetta or Johns Creek to report a suspicious person and see the quick multiple unit response.
Report a gas can stolen from your garage and a detective shows up to actually investigate.
Report a car break in and they dust for prints and run them the next day.
Dekalb PD saw its finest days many years ago.....its downhill from here.
I think the average citizen across the US would be suprised at just how few officers patrol the streets at any given time, fire departments too. This is not just Dekalb policy.
A basic fact is that the police will ALWAYS be outnumbered by the bad guys. The prison population is at 1.7 MILLION. That only includes the people actually in prison, not the people who plead out or awaiting trial and so on. There are between 600-700k people living in Dekalb which is about 270 square miles. Unfortunetly the county has a significant number of criminals. The police department only has 1000officers. About half of them are actual patrol officers which is right at the national average for a department this size.
Simple solution, you want more officers on the street you have to pay for them. Problem is..no one wants to pay.
i heard officers at center are having to sit in an office park all night because a few offices got burglized several weeks ago, I mean the whole shift. I guess citizens would like that. That's why there neighborhood isn't getting patrol.
Mr Citizen you are pretty accurate. At any given time that area has on average 5 police officers patrolling. Keep in mind that at any given time 3 of those 5 are on a call. which leaves two left. Of those 2 one is probably on a traffic stop, and the other is at the local Quick Trip/ taking a quick break. Yes we need a break every now and then also, its difficult to take a piss in our offices. Every month on average 8-10 officers resign this place. Mr. Citizen what are you going to do about it. Crime is up, officers and morale are down. We dont care about your personal crime issues, we dont do anything to proactively rid your neighborhood of crime. We show up 30 - 90 minutes after your house is broken in to, take a report, to make you feel better then go to the next call.
Command Staff will tell you people "Dont worry guys we have an academy that graduates in 2 weeks. WOW 30 more cops who have been in the academy 24 weeks, they still have 9 weeks of FTO Lets do some math
+ 30 cops
- 5 new detectives
- 5 officers to special ops (we need as much ticket revenue as we can get"
- 5 officers to admin positions
- 20 officers who quit/retire/fired/arrested
-----------------------------------
= -5 officers
and keep subtracting 10 officers a month, oh and wait till furloughs start, wow
yes I am bitching and whining, I cannot leave I have been to CID I have had the take home car, yes its great, I gave that all up in 2004 lost my take home to wear some pretty stripes get a 10 percent raise. (least it was 10 percent back then)
I did some research, guess what, I brought home $200 a month more in 2004 than I did in 2010.
in 2004 gas was $2.29/gal WTF
Ok I feel better now, at least I retire in 2015.
Reality sucks..... that's typical. I used to ask citizens to tell me how many uniform officers they thought were on duty, patrolling and answering 911 calls in Georgia's second largest county.... the guesses were laughable! ... I'd hear outrageous numbers like 150 and 200. LOL!
Mr Citizen yes we can only put between 4-7 cars a night depending on the precicnt and watch.
No we cannot protect you so I would suggest arming yourself and family.
But should we be able to get to your emergency in a timly manner, you will probably notice that we are now weraing a nice new black uniform shirt in the summer.
So this should offer you some comfort in knowing that tax dollars went to uniforms instead of more officers on the street to protect you.
Have a safe day and good luck not becoming a victim in Dekalb.
If you think that's good, see the look on someone's face when you tell them that there are only 12 officers working Tucker precinct on some days. Then get a load of their face when you tell them the precinct boundaries. Then look at their faces when you tell an actual victim that crime scene won't be responding to collect evidence due to budget constraints.
The point is this, officers here in Dekalb actually want to be proactive, but manpower and call volume usually restrict that very significantly. Now being that 80-95% of the calls we respond to are utter nonsense, it would be great if citizens used 911 for emergencies only instead of a free babysitting service. Plenty of priority calls go out while we're handling civil disputes over amounts of money less than ten dollars, domestics along the lines of babydaddy got my cellphone, 22s who just want to rant and rave when we arrive, private property 41s,36 on roads with almost no traffic, VIN checks, people wanting to make reports "just in case" something happens, etc etc. all take officers away from proactively patrolling. While we're tied up on these things, crime is still happening all over the place. A while back, there was some talk of us not responding to certain calls, but that seems to be a dead proposition (probably because it would have been useful).
It really sucks to have a citizen who is an actual victim on a call such as a 42, 92, etc and have to explain to them why it took so long to get there, and then that we don't have enough money to investigate properly.
Anon 1 & Anon 2: The simple fact that the citizens need to be made aware of is that they have their CEO and BOC to blame for this. As a citizen of DeKalb County I see everyday that my taxes don't go to pay for the needs I was told they would (pd, fire, ems, schools, roadwork...) but instead goes to line the pockets of the CEO and his band of brothers. This is highway robbery and unfortunately most or too ignorant to see it.
Anon. 8:00
You left out the fact that an Officer is probably broke down on the side of the road waiting on a wrecker, because the car he is driving has 190,000,00 miles on it.
Seems like you are right. Its not just this area that is under covered with units. Ask Dunwoody how many they have patrolling a smaller geographic area. Remember this when you go to vote, better yet encourage some decent people to oppose these crooks currently in power. If you lived in the CEO's neighborhood you would have a car outside your door 24 / 7.
The media has been filming officers at CEO's home for some time now. I assume for a corruption story of some sort in the making.
We should start using policy against those that constantly use it against us. It is POLICY that a supervisor WILL respond to all domestic calls along with a back-up unit. How often does that get ignored? Anyone can write anyone else up for policy violation so standby.
And you wonder why citizens are willing to tax themselves more to create a new city.
Who cares. I have my free county ride to and from the house. Errands on the weekend.
Grocery shopping and trips to the home depot.
Oh I forgot, trips to Mickey Ds with my kids in the car.
Wake up citizens of Dekalb you have been scammed as good as any Bernie Madoff victim. We have a county government that has squandered your tax money on such things as planting classes,sidewalks and recreation centers and have lined their pockets well. They have demoralized your police and fire forces to the point that even the most loyal employee is running for the door. No raises for almost five years, a pension fund that they are trying to weasel out the employees out of, if they get their way the average employee will over $1000 in pension contribution and half as much for health insurance! Great job Dekalb BOC, I bet Manual Maloof is is rolling around in his grave.
I know the bloggers on here who are giving out the critical numbers are always out of danger at QT, because they would not expose operations or numbers to the criminals who might kill a brother in the future using their info.You guys are pathetic. If you dont like it go to a rural Barney Fife area where you live.
I am a citizen of this county for quite a long time, are you divided as much as I read here? While reading this blog I have come to understand how disgruntled you are with the politico's of DeKalb, but it seems that you all seem to dislike your entire rank structure. Is that true also? Do all the supervisor's in P.D. lack skills? Do all of the officers dislike each other as much as it seems here?
To anonymous 4:24. I don’t think most on this blog represent the good officers here. Some paint such a drastic picture of this department. Sure there are problems here. Look at the economy in general. I work with some of the best officers in the country right here at DeKalb County.
Anon 4:24. No not all cops hate each other. Unfortunately the cops who support each other and look out for each other are not writing on this blog. They have better things to do than complain who has what and who works harder. Some of believe that ALL cops work hard and get paid very little to do it. So, to answer your question, no there are good cops who like their jobs and look out for their brothers, but do not like the politics of the BOC and CEO.
Wassup Holmes
7:50 P M Well said.
Unfortunately, we have became so disheartened and depressed about our futures here in Dekalb that we at times lash out at one another just like brothers and sisters do at times. This county has some of the best officers in the country...for how much longer who knows. We have lost a lot of great leadership due to the fact that they were tired of fighting a corrupt government system in Decatur. We are losing officers for the same reason. If the citizens of Dekalb don't stand up and say enough is enough then they are going to eventually have a Department of rejects from other agencies and the corruption will just get worse. ACT NOW WHILE YOU STILL HAVE DECENT OFFICERS!
Hey all one has to do is look around. It's an us and them breakdown within the dept.
The most obvious is the new uniforms.
..for as long as this dept has been in existence every officer wore the same uniform and distinguishing patches.
..the only difference was the display of rank on the uniform.
...but watch out now...you're not as good as he is now and we MUST look much better than you because we have rank.
...so we should by hell or high water have the best of the best uniform.
..why the hell does a lonely ole MPO or lower deserve to wear the Gold Patch...why they are just a bunch of dumb-asses.
...this shit has really gotten out of hand around this place and the ego's that go with the rank of some of the supervisors ...well no words can describe.
I for one am really over this mentality that if you don't hold rank then you're a freakin idiot or loser. I mean my god people, what is up with this crap...Has anyone taken a look at the reserved parking spaces that some of these ego-centric assholes have put up for themselves....They are constantly reminding themselves at how freakin great they are.
If there is one thing for sure around Dekalb it's definitely segregation....it's Us & them...and I'm not referring to race.
It's so amazing at how a little rank changes the way people view themselves and the ones they once called friends...not anymore...let me slap with you my white glove now, because I'm wearing GOLD...& don't you forget it mister.
Some folks on here point out at what a great job Dunwoody does. Not to take anything away from them but they are not as responsive as some would have us believe. They hold calls like we do. They get busy with shotlifters at the mall and the abundant retail stores. Add a few traffic accidents on 285 and they are tied up. On more than one occasion DKPD has stepped in to help them out. Like the Dunwoody Beer Fest. They were short and DKPD helped them catch up on calls. So the residents in Dunwoody might have to wait for patrol or a call response.
I looked at DKPD as a bad marriage. When only one spouse (the employee) is putting forth the effort and commitment it eventually gets old and is unrewarding. Trust me when I say there are better matches and marriages (other departments) in which you can thrive again. Best of luck to you all and remember, time is short.
Has anyone seen Chief O'Brien lately, I forgot he was still around.
He is on vacation and left Holmes in charge.
I guess he thinks the officers are happy and the dept is running fine.
Hope he has a good time in the G ride.
Lone Ranger, you hit it right on the head. If officers think that the higher ups have your back, you are making a big mistake. The mantality always has been them, gold badges, against, silver badges. Most of the gold badges forget where they came from. I can tell you they bitch just as much as the lower rank, but will tell the lower rank to just do your job and stop bitching. Its sad that officers have to protect themselves from the department by joining the fop, pba or have to retain an attorney.
All that hard work over the years and look what happened to Dekalb County. For the last fifteen or so years, it went to "hell in a handbasket" and has been failing ever since.
The type of government that has changed this county from worse to the pitts on a daily basis has prolonged. The kind of represenatation that our county government leaders in the civilian areas isn't worth discussing as they are nothing than a bunch of welfare parasites living off the dols of the county, state & feds with their fancy titles, expensive luxury offices, with totally inept employees talking on the phone or doing their nails in place of a decent days work.
What really is the bad part of all this, is that the taxpayer, no matter how wealthy or poor, moderate or low moderate income class, has to pay for all this bullshit and not get a damm thing in return except potholes, crumbling sidewalks, roads that sinking everywhere, county service personnel sleeping in the air conditioned vehicles, getting overime for this nonsense, and absolutely nothing or very little getting done.
As a taxpayer for a long time, watching my property values keep on going downhill, also watching my tax bill go up every year, for services that at the very least are extremely questionable, in a county run by morons.
Dekalb County at one time had the best school system in the state and the best properties in the metro area. Now, most of it is rentals or forecloures with a few taxpayers thrown in for good measure.
Now this is the Dekalb County of June 2011
@9:32 - you are 100% right. When I moved to Georgia in 1982 I was told move into DeKalb, they have the best schools in the metro area and look at them today; same with shopping, etc. - what do you have today - massage parlors (or so they are advertised as) all over Buford Highway; where can you find a decent and clean restaurant that sells honest to goodness home cooking food; restaurants with dirty floors, store fronts, etc.; a police force that was known as one of the best in metro area and whose morale has been destroyed; surrounded by illegals who are only given a slap on the wrist when caught in illegal activities; it is really sad. Reported an incident where guy was loading up his van with new copper wiring and I mean loaded to the top and it was packed solid in there; didn't look right to me especially since the guy is known to be an illegal; reported it and the cop who came out told the guy who turned him in - sure made safety of my family a big concern for me. Cop patted him on the shoulder and said good lucky buddy, sat in the parking lot until I left and nailed me for not fastening my seat belt the very minute I got in the car - waited until I started the motor, backed out so the rest of the family could get in the car and then fastened it. Wasn't out of the parking lot when I did fasten it.
@8:04am, is this who I think it is again?
@12:08 - I hope I have misread your comment regarding "lame ass call". I read this as a scolding to me for making the call about the copper tubing. Not a bit sorry I did make the call as there was thousands of dollars worth of tubing in that van. Would I do it again, probably not simply because if the perp is going to be told who called and put the caller's safety and the safety of their family at risk, why bother - just let them steal and steal some more. And if you had to live around a bunch of illegals and see the way they behave, you might be more understanding. I am not a cop; I am a private citizen. I do have a son who is a cop however and therefore feel your pain at the way things are going in DeKalb County. As for the officer serving me well - what I consider serving well and apparently what you consider serving me well aren't the same. See above. And yes karma is a b**ch.
@12:08 - not sure who you think this is but I happen to be a private citizen.
Just some sorry ass Dekalb Police Officers on this blog.
Dekalb is chock full of public housing, HUD apartments, section 8, etc.
These programs destroy communities.
Look at the ghetto masses and how they vote. Those who actually pay taxes are so fed up they are creating their own cities.
Next up is Gwinnett County, it will look just like south Dekalb in about 10 years.
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