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Transcript

Speaker 1 0:08
You’re tuned in to the Clayton connected podcast in Clayton County, where the world lands and opportunities take off.

Speaker 1 0:21
Good day, and welcome to the Clayton connected podcast. I’m your host is Valerie Fuller, communications, administrator in the Office of Communications in the Clayton County government sector today in the Clayton connected podcast studio, we have sector one Captain Krista green as well as master Police Officer Shontrese Dismuke, welcome you. Ah, so this is the first time you’re on the Clayton connected podcast. So today we’re going to be talking about little bit of insight on some of the police operations and how each sector is different. So over the next few weeks, next few months, we’re going to be featuring each sector of the Clayton County Police Department. So our episodes are going to feature commanders and officers on the force talking about different statistics enforcement efforts, along with information for events and initiatives. Right? So we’ll jump right into it. Let’s talk about an overview of sector one. What does sector one, Clayton County Police Department cover?

Speaker 2 1:21
Well, we cover portions of Stockbridge, Rex area, Ellenwood, Conley, portions of Forest Park and Lake City and Morrow.

Speaker 1 1:31
I understand that each sector may face its own challenges. What’s specific to sector one? What are some of the challenges or things that you’re seeing in sector one that you want to make the community and residents of the area aware of,

Speaker 2 1:44
I would say we have a lot of thefts from vehicles, as well as vehicle thefts. And one of the things I would like people to understand is you should be secure in your property, inside of your vehicle. However, we do have an issue with that. So it’s important to understand, even though we should be able to leave our valuables in our vehicle, we need to take those items out, especially firearms. We see a lot of firearms stolen from vehicles, and of course, those items are then distributed out through the community for other crimes. So it is important to keep those items inside. Keep all your valuables out of the view of people. You know, if you have to leave something in your vehicle, put it in a trunk. Put it in a lot compartment. Also our vehicle thefts, especially this time of the year, we have issues with people leaving their vehicles running because they want to warm them up in the morning, obviously, however, we have bad guys out there that are waiting on you to go back inside and seize the opportunity to take off with your vehicle, even if you’re locking your doors, the vehicle is still running. It doesn’t take but a split second for them to get in the vehicle, you know, break a window, and then they’re off with your vehicle and you have nothing, right?

Speaker 1 3:10
So lock those valuables up, take them out of your car, take them inside the home and secure them, and especially weapons. Is there anything specific that the Clayton County Police Department is picking up when it comes to the weapons, like, are they having any of the weapons found or returned?

Speaker 2 3:28
I don’t know the stats on those. I do know from time to time, we do get stolen weapons, whether they’re from here or outside jurisdictions. We have a lot of those recovered when dealing with other crimes like burglaries and crimes against persons.

Speaker 1 3:49
we always talk about some of the challenges, of course, within different communities throughout the county, and we don’t want people to think that it’s all bad, right? We know that there are great things that are happening in Clayton County, Georgia, throughout Clayton County, Georgia, what are some of the things that are working in the community when it comes to police and the residents you know, in reference to working with the homeowners associations and working with any crime Watch neighborhoods?

Speaker 2 4:20
Yes, we do have a lot of HOAs. We have meetings with those individuals, as well as our neighborhood watches, working with those citizens to inform them on the crime trends that are taking place in their area, and solutions that they can use to prevent those when they should be reporting stuff, which is important to you know, if you see something, say something. If you think something’s wrong, call us. I would much rather it be nothing. And you have called then something, and we never got a call on it.

Speaker 1 4:54
And when you’re working with the residents, whether it’s through HOA or just a neighbor that’s calling for. A non emergency call, right? Want to stress that part. What is it, in reference to the Clayton County Police Department, in reference to code enforcement that you like for residents to know what’s really important? One of the things that may stand out that you deal with.

Speaker 3 5:19
A lot of times when we attend those meetings, they complain a lot about vehicles being parked in their dry or in the front of the house or the yard. That is a code enforcement deal. So a lot of times they ask law enforcement, or they may call us to come out there to see about that vehicle. And it’s not a police thing for that, we would have to contact code enforcement. So we do a lot of explaining to them about the differences between the two,

Speaker 1 5:43
and there is a difference between the two. Can you elaborate on that a little bit more the difference between code enforcement and what the police department would do

Speaker 3 5:51
when it’s vehicles that are propped in Parker League, we will come out for vehicles that are parked in a roadway, so when they have those complaints, part of what we do in community affairs, I or officer Cofield, who is over sector one, she would contact the captain and let her know what the complaints are, and then the captain would further push out some type of detail to make sure it’s addressed. But when we see or hear that the vehicle is parked in the yard, code enforcement would have to come out, because then that’s a citation for homeowner, right?

Speaker 1 6:21
There are events and activities through community affairs at the Clayton County Police Department. What are some of the upcoming initiatives and or events that residents may participate in?

Speaker 3 6:32
All right? So we have several coming up. I’ll kind of go in the order that they’re coming. So the first event that we have coming up is a human trafficking awareness event that is put on by our human trafficking unit. It begins February 3, and that it’ll start at 630 to seven. 730 so we just bring you in for an hour, and they’ll pretty much teach the public, or whoever attends, signs and tips, things that they can recognize for human trafficking. As we are near the airport, we do have a lot of that going on within the county.

Speaker 1 7:02
Human trafficking a major concern. Or not just Clayton County, but throughout the metro Atlanta area. What are some of the reports that you typically get, or tips that you would offer to residents in the community to look for?

Speaker 2 7:20
I would tell them, you know, when you’re at restaurants, especially areas where there are hotels, are commonly used to do traffic or sex trafficking. I would say, you know, just be aware of the people that are walking around. You know, obviously, if you see young people walking around and they’re wearing skimpy clothing, and they’re walking around the hotels late at night that that should stand out. And, you know, give us a call. Report those things. We can come out. We can investigate it. It may be nothing, but then again, it might be that they’re being trafficked, and you’ve just saved somebody’s life off of just a hunch.

Speaker 1 8:07
Do you have reports ever or incidents? I know when we refer to trafficking, it’s usually females, but what about males?

Speaker 2 8:14
There are males as well. You’d have to be looking out for that. Yes, I think

Speaker 1 8:17
that’s something very important to note to a community that is not just females that are falling victim to trafficking, it’s males as well. So see something, say something absolutely yes.

Speaker 3 8:31
So the next event that we have coming up, we are currently taping applications for our citizens police academy. That’s a 10 week course. You come on a Monday to our headquarters location. You spend an hour with us, and each week we present a different unit within a department, like Swat, bomb, aviation, different units, and you just get more of an insight to what we do. And you also get to see their equipment. We also run this event. We have a junior citizens police academy that we open up to children, really, of any age, we won’t be running the next one for that until sometime in the summer. That’s when most parents have the availability, because we do require them to be there with their children. But the next citizens Police Academy is starting February 16 and ends April 12.

Speaker 1 9:15
Love the fact that parents are incorporated into the open lines of communication, as well as building trust within the community for with residents and the police department and so this citizens police academy runs, you said, for 10 weeks, do they have to attend every class in order to get to the graduate status?

Speaker 3 9:31
We do require you attend most of the classes. You can only miss two, so at least eight of the classes we do require you to attend to be able to graduate. And then what happens after graduation? After graduation, anyone who has gone through the systems Police Academy is able to volunteer with the department. We still have an application process with that, but if that’s something that people are interested in, we just require you fill out the application, then we will be able to put you in different positions within the department to kind of help out so. Yeah, Animal Control is one place that we’re looking to get people to volunteer for, as well as like Front Desk support.

Speaker 1 10:06
And where can they find this application? Where should they apply? Is there a website? Is there a phone number to contact

Speaker 3 10:12
so the application is not online, but they can email community dot affairs at Clayton County ga.gov and a member from that team will give out the application. Or you can come into the headquarters location at 7911, North McDonough Street in Jonesboro, Georgia, and you can pick up an application in person. Wonderful.

Speaker 1 10:31
And then last but not least, coffee with the chief.

Speaker 3 10:34
Coffee with the chief. Yes, where our next coffee with the chief is at Ray’s donuts in Jonesboro. The address is 7332, tar Boulevard, and it’s on February 26 from eight to 9am

Speaker 1 10:46
and you can also find this information online at Clayton County ga.gov as well as following the social media pages for the Clayton County Police Department. Right? Absolutely, and any last minute tips or information that you want to share with the residents, in reference to what they can do to help keep the lines of communication open or build trust within the community between police and residents.

Speaker 3 11:11
I can just say, from Community Affairs, we are able to come out to different events that people are hosting within the county. So if you ever feel the need to have a police presence, or you just want us out there to speak to the people that are coming to your events. We’re always available that again, you have to contact us and let us know, so just send us emails. And if we’re available to come out, we will definitely try to come out

Unknown Speaker 11:33
and support Captain green.

Speaker 2 11:35
Just greet your officers. You know you see us out there on the streets. Obviously, if we’re handling the call, we’re a little busy, but, you know, we go out to Walmart, Kroger, different stores. You may see us out in the neighborhood just while, you know, riding around, you know, flag us down. We’ll stop and talk with you. It’s good to get to know the citizens, and I would really like them to get to know our office well.

Speaker 1 12:00
Thank you so much for all that you do. Not just you here in the studio, but all of our police officers, public safety officers throughout Clayton County. We do appreciate you, and thank you and chief Roberts for all of the work that you’re doing on behalf of the citizens. Ladies and gentlemen, Captain Krista green and master police officer, Shontrese Dismuke in the studio and the Clayton connected podcast, we’ll see you next time I’m your hostess. Valerie Fuller, thank you for listening to the Clayton connected podcast in Clayton, County, Georgia, where the world lands and opportunities take off.