InTucker Magazine

On the Beat with Lt. Smith – February 2017

A police department’s two primary responsibilities are the quick response to 911 calls for service and the prevention of injuries and fatalities from accidents through the enforcement of traffic laws.

To this end, we are always vigilant to trouble spots and deploy additional resources when manpower permits. This may include officers working overtime operating laser in areas where speeding is a problem or deploying units from our special operations division in school zones during the high travel times.

Recently, one of these spots has been Fellowship Road and Lawrenceville Highway. We are aware that this location has been mentioned repeatedly on social media because of safety concerns. Over the last couple months, we have increased our enforcement actions in this area as a result of those concerns, combatting aggressive drivers who make illegal lane changes during rush hour traffic and cause safety issues for other drivers.

As we work on enforcement, we have also been in communication with traffic engineers and planners from DeKalb County who have advised that they are reviewing data from the intersection to see if there are any actions that they can take to improve safety.We’re doing our part. Now we need you to do yours. As you talk about this intersection with friends, neighbors and co-workers, encourage them to abide by the traffic law. Remind them that arriving at their destination a couple minutes late is far more preferable than having to pay a traffic ticket – or worse – injuring themselves or other motorists by causing a traffic accident.

 Police Blotter

Masked Robber – Dec. 25th – Officers responded to the Walgreens on Lavista Road in reference to an armed robbery. A masked suspect had walked behind the counter and taken money out of the register while in possession of a firearm. Based on his description and the method used during the robbery, our detectives were able to link the suspect to an additional 24 armed robberies that have occurred all over DeKalb County within the last month.

Two days later, a detective following up on a lead noticed the suspect driving away from a motel and was able to get officers to stop and detain him. Further investigation revealed that he was the suspect in the robberies and he is currently facing multiple counts of armed robbery.

Intoxicated Burglar – Dec. 28 – At 2234 hours, officers responded to a burglar alarm on Briers Drive. When the officers arrived, they located broken glass and an open rear door to the location. They entered to clear the residence and located a male in an upstairs bathroom taking a bath. The male advised them that he had broken into the residence, became intoxicated and wanted to end his life. Officers located a BB rifle next to the bathtub and the suspect still had the BB embedded in his forehead. He was transported to an area hospital for medical treatment and was later lodged in the DeKalb County Jail.

Forgetful Burglar – Jan. 6th – At 1240 hours, officers responded to an alarm call on Oakwood Drive. They located a forced front door and several items missing from the residence. Upon further investigation, a cell phone was located in the driveway that did not belong to the homeowner. Detectives responded to the scene and were able to determine the owner of the phone. They also discovered that the same person had pawned several items that belonged to this victim at a local pawn store several hours after the burglary. With this information, they were able to secure arrest warrants for the suspect.