InTucker Magazine

On the Beat with Lt. Schoeppner-September -2021

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

By now, it should be fairly old news that I am being reassigned. I am moving from Tucker Precinct to be an assistant commander over the homicide unit. I am looking forward to my new assignment, but I am also truly sad to be leaving Tucker. In my final column, I wanted to take some time to reflect on the nearly four years that I have been your liaison officer.

The Tucker Liaison Officer was the first position of its type. When Tucker incorporated into a city, it was the first to not create its own police department. The liaison was intended to help keep smooth operation between city government and the police department. Lt. R.S. Smith was the inaugural Tucker Liaison. He laid much of the groundwork for the position. However, when I relieved him in October of 2017, it was still very much a work in progress. Since then, Tucker Precinct has taken over police responsibility for the entire City, and we have worked with Tucker in opening their own city court. We also worked very closely in navigating the uncharted waters of the pandemic, which no one could have predicted. During all of this, I have enjoyed an incredibly good relationship with the citizens and all the City’s elected officials and employees.

Your next liaison officer is going to be Lt. Jim Berg. He is a 23-year veteran of the DeKalb County Police Department and has been at Tucker Precinct even longer than I. While at Tucker, he has held positions such as watch commander and duty lieutenant. He has a wealth of knowledge and the City could not be left in more capable hands. I know that you all will be as kind and welcoming to him as you have been with me.

I would like to end this article by saying thank you to you all. The time I have spent here at Tucker has been some of my best working for the DeKalb County Police Department. I am happy to leave here with the relationship between the City and P.D. being strong. As we continue to work together, I truly believe there is nothing but good things in Tucker’s future.