InTucker Magazine

On the Beat with Lt. Berg -December 2022

Lt. J.W. Berg is Tucker’s liaison to the DeKalb County Police Department and can be contacted by email at jwberg@dekalbcountyga.gov or by phone at (678) 597-9040.

In last month’s On the Beat, I began my highly-anticipated, future award-winning series of articles which I have titled “How to Use your Police Department”.

I discussed a few situations where calling 911 is important, such as after a traffic accident with injuries, concerns involving “suspicious” persons or vehicles, and when encountering a person experiencing a violent or uncontrollable mental health crisis. I also discussed some of the information our 911 operators need when dispatching an officer, most important of which is the specific incident location. In this month’s article, I will continue to discuss what to expect when the police arrive to help.

First, a caveat. It is well known by now the struggles that law enforcement agencies nationwide are having attracting and retaining new officers. The DeKalb County Police Department is no exception to this unfortunate trend, with our staffing levels lower than previous years. While our Department is taking steps to overcome this staffing challenge, such as increasing starting pay and other benefits, we are still faced with doing more with less. Fortunately, our current uniformed officers and front-line supervisors do an incredible job at prioritizing and managing our high volume of calls. While this might mean a few extra minutes of waiting time on a non-life threatening call, our officers will come – prepared and ready to help.

Once on scene, our officers will begin collecting the necessary information to do their job. For the majority of calls, the officer will document the situation in an official police report.  At the DeKalb County Police Department, we have a great electronic reporting system we call “RMS”. This modern software program has made writing and updating reports much quicker and easier. I would ask that you please be prepared with as much information as possible so that the officer can properly document the call. This includes any suspect or victim information and may also include identifying yourself with a proper state-issued identification.  Our officers have the right, both legally and for officer safety reasons, to know who they are encountering.

When making 911 calls, you can be anonymous and decide not to meet with an officer. However, doing so may not allow for an effective response to the call if the officer needs to ask follow up questions or needs further assistance in identifying a potential victim or suspect.  I can assure you that our officers will never identify a caller to a suspect or a third party. We all swear an oath to protect and serve – and that includes protecting anyone who may call 911.

Our officers are trained to quickly ask questions and investigate after arriving on scene. In addition to learning about laws and criminal procedures, our officers are also taught methods to take charge of chaotic situations so that a level of control and calmness can begin. Please allow our officers an initial few minutes to gather the information they need and to de-escalate the incident at hand.  After this initial period is over, the officer will explain him or herself to you and answer any questions you may have.

If the officer determines there is sufficient probable cause to make an arrest, he or she will do so following all Departmental guidelines and state and federal laws. If needed, the officer will also ask for assistance from our detectives in our Criminal Investigations Division (“CID”). While all our officers are given the autonomy to make decisions, there are also times when a supervisor must be notified by the officer to ensure that proper decisions have been made.  This quality control allows for a better overall response and provides for immediate feedback and learning on behalf of the officer.

Depending on the situation, the officer may provide you with a business card containing the “case number” of the report he or she will write. If you need a copy of your police report, please call our Central Records Section at (770) 724-7740 for options on how to obtain a copy. Currently, our Headquarters and records room are closed due to continuing Covid restrictions.

Before I conclude, I want to briefly introduce our new Tucker Precinct Command Staff. Major Anthony Ford has replaced our retired and well-loved Major Medlin. Major Ford has a varied and long career with the DeKalb Police Department, including commanding our Internal Affairs Unit, otherwise known as “IA”. Speaking of Internal Affairs, Captain McCown has returned back to IA, and has been replaced here at Tucker Precinct by Captain Ariel Toledo, our former Tucker Day Watch Commander. We are fortunate to have both of them lead us at Tucker Precinct – and I am not just saying that because they are my bosses!

On behalf of Major Ford, Captain Toledo, all our officers, and our wonderful civilian personnel here at Tucker Precinct, we wish everyone a happy and safe Holiday Season. I hope you do not experience a situation where you need to call someone in law enforcement during this wonderful time of year. But if you do, Tucker Precinct will be here ready to respond, 24 hours a day.