InTucker Magazine

On the Beat with Lt. Schoeppner – April 2019

Lt. D.G. Schoeppner is Tucker’s liaison to the DeKalb County Police Department and can be followed at facebook.com/dgschoeppner or emailed at dgschoeppner@dekalbcountyga.gov.

The Greek philosopher Heraclitus said that “change is the only constant.” This is certainly true in the DeKalb County Police Department. In the past month, we have seen Chief Conroy announce his retirement, Tucker Precinct’s Major Padrick get promoted to Assistant Chief and Major Craig Medlin move from Special Operations to command of Tucker Precinct.

On February 20, Chief Conroy announced that he would be retiring at the end of April. He will have 30 years of service with the department. When Chief Conroy was appointed in 2013, he had been DeKalb P.D.’s ninth chief in 11 years. His tenure has given our department a much-needed period of stability. He can be credited with helping retain manpower and reduce crime. Chief Conroy also played a key role in helping craft the agreement between the City of Tucker and DeKalb County for police service to the City. A nationwide search is being conducted for his successor.

Before his departure, Chief Conroy appointed Tucker Precinct’s very own Major Padrick to be the Assistant Chief over the Uniform Division. Assistant Chief Padrick was first assigned to Tucker Precinct in 2015 when he served here as Captain. He then got promoted to Major and served as the precinct commander until this year. Assistant Chief Padrick will now be overseeing the operation of all four of DeKalb’s police precincts.

I would now like to introduce Major Craig Medlin as Tucker Precinct’s new commander. Major Medlin has served with the DeKalb County Police Department since June 1995. He started his career in the Uniform Division, was then assigned to South Precinct Criminal Investigations as a Detective from 2001 to 2003, and then went on to work in the newly created Homeland Security Division from 2003 to 2015. He also served as the Deputy Director of DeKalb County Emergency Management. During his tenure in the Homeland Division, he led terrorism related investigations, managed critical infrastructure assessments of high-profile countywide targets, and developed buffer zone protection plans.

In December 2015, Major Medlin was promoted to his current rank and assumed command of the Special Operations Division, which is composed of the SWAT Team, Bomb Unit, K-9 Unit, Motors Unit, Traffic Specialist Unit, Aerial Support Unit, and the Security Unit.

The major is a 2015 graduate of the 134th Administrative Officers Course at the Southern Police Institute through the University of Louisville. He is currently a member of the 2019 Leadership DeKalb Class. He is also enrolled with Waldorf College to obtain his bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice Administration.

Major Medlin’s diverse background and extensive experience made him an easy choice to be Tucker’s precinct commander. We at the precinct are excited to have him here. He tells me that he is eager to carry on the good relationship that Chief Conroy and Assistant Chief Padrick fostered with the City and looks forward to serving its citizens.