Cobb Fire Station 20 has operated on Sewell Mill Road since 1984.
The Cobb Board of Commissioners on Tuesday approved spending $975,000 to purchase around 3.5 acres of land on Sewell Mill Road at East Piedmont Road for the relocation of Fire Station 20.
The measure was passed on the commission’s consent agenda.
According to an agenda item, the Cobb Fire Department eventually wants to replace the current station at 1298 Hilton Drive—on Sewell Mill Road between East Piedmont and Old Canton Road—that was built in 1984.
That’s eight-tenths of a mile to the west of the property for the potential new site that has owned by the McCleskey Family-East Cobb YMCA.
“To meet response needs and Fire Department’s strategic goals, this station will need to be relocated,” the agenda item states. “While the station construction will not begin immediately, this parcel of land at Sewell Mill Road and East Piedmont intersection is an ideal location for the future station.”
The item also states that the funding for the property acquisition will come from the Cobb Fire Fund, and construction of the new station would commence “in a future budget cycle.”
Last year commissioners rejected a rezoning request for those parcels to become a residential senior living development.
Fire Station 20 has been mentioned in the current East Cobb Cityhood referendum campaign.
Although located in what would remain unincorporated Cobb, Station 20’s current service area includes neighborhoods that are included in the proposed City of East Cobb.
The proposed city would have two fire stations—currently Cobb 15 and 21.
Cobb Fire officials have said at county-sponsored cityhood town halls that slower response times are likely in the City of East Cobb, but a financial feasibility study didn’t provide enough details.
Last week, Cobb government launched a “World Class” web page to tout the Cobb Fire Department on its 50th anniversary.
The East Cobb cityhood group protested, sending out a letter last week alleging the county is actively campaigning against cityhood and demanding those activities stop.
The letter included a reference to an “audacious” sign posted in front of Fire Station 21, which is part of the East Cobb Government Service Center.
That’s where early voting is taking place through May 20.
“Because the Cityhood referendum is on the ballot in that very building, the sign is an illegal piece of campaign material that must be removed at once,” stated the letter to Cobb Commission Chairwoman Lisa Cupid. “It is no coincidence that the only fire station with such a sign as of May 4, 2022 is the one where early voting is occurring.”
When East Cobb News drove by Station 20 on Friday to take the above photo for this story, the same sign had been placed there.
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Stuart VanHoozer, a 32-year veteran of the Cobb Police Department who is currently one of two interim police chiefs, is being recommended as the new Cobb Police Chief.
His appointment is scheduled for a vote Tuesday by the Cobb Board of Commissioners, which is having a regular meeting starting at 9 a.m.
VanHoozer would succeed Tim Cox, who retired at the end of last year.
VanHoozer and Scott Hamilton, another Cobb Police veteran, have been serving as interim co-chiefs since then.
In his time with Cobb Police, VanHoozer has served as a patrol officer, a field training officer, a narcotics officer, an internal affairs officer, a commander of three precincts and as an executive officer to the Director of the Cobb Department of Public Safety.
Since 2018, VanHoozer has served as a deputy chief.
He earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and public services from Kennesaw State University.
A message from Cobb government Monday morning said that there will be a press conference regarding the police chief appointment after the meeting.
Also on Tuesday’s agenda (you can read it here) will be an update on Truist Park and The Battery.
Cobb commissioners also will be asked to consider spending $975,000 to purchase around 3.5 acres of land on Sewell Mill Road at East Piedmont Road for the relocation of Fire Station 20.
The Cobb Fire Department wants to replace the current station at 1298 Hilton Drive—on Sewell Mill Road between East Piedmont and Old Canton Road—that was built in 1984.
The property for the potential new site is owned by the McCleskey Family-East Cobb YMCA.
Last year commissioners rejected a rezoning request for those parcels to become a residential senior living development.
The meeting starts at 9 a.m. Tuesday in the second floor board room of the Cobb government building (100 Cherokee St., downtown Marietta).
The hearing also will be live-streamed on the county’s website, cable TV channel (Channel 24 on Comcast) and Youtube page. Visit cobbcounty.org/CobbTV for other streaming options.
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A driver who slammed into another vehicle near Mountain View Elementary School more than two years ago, killing an elderly man, was sentenced to five years in prison this week.
John James Hamm, now 45, also will serve 10 years on probation when he is released, according to filings in Cobb Superior Court.
He pleaded guilty on Monday to one charge vehicular homicide, after three other similar charges were merged into one. The sentence was handed down by Judge Lark Ingram.
According to his indictment, Hamm was driving an Infiniti on Sandy Plains Road near Davis Road on Feb. 23, 2020, when it struck a Mazda truck driven by John Spadafora, 91.
Cobb Police said at the time that Spadafora died after being taken to WellStar Kennestone Hospital.
The indictment stated that as Spadafora was heading south on Sandy Plains, attempting to make a left turn onto Davis Road, he was hit by Hamm’s vehicle, heading north, that was weaving and traveling 20 miles over the posted speed limit of 45 mph,
Hamm also did not apply the brakes before the crash, according to the indictment, also states that Hamm was well over the legal alcohol limit. He was taken to Kennestone but had no life-threatening injuries.
Cobb Sheriff’s Office records indicate that Hamm was taken into custody Monday at the Cobb County Adult Detention Center.
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A 2015 Pierce Arrow XT engine at Cobb Fire Station 21, one of two stations in the proposed City of East Cobb.
As voters in the proposed City of East Cobb vote on a referendum that would create a city with public safety services, Cobb County Government is tooting its own horn about its fire department.
The county has launched a special portal called “World Class Cobb Fire,” which explains how the Cobb Fire and Emergency Services Department is organized, including details of each major piece of equipment, a map of all stations and testimonials from personnel.
The portal’s homepage includes videos of firefighters and emergency staffers on the job, including a “day in the life” profile of a recruit coming off his first shift.
The reason for the splash page: the Cobb Fire Department is observing its 50th anniversary this year, and recently was reaccredited through 2027 by Commission on Fire Accreditation International.
Cobb also has has a top rating of 1 from the Insurance Services Office.
The ISO-1 designation is a rare one, and has been the subject of discussion in the run-up to the East Cobb Cityhood referendum on May 24.
East Cobb is the only of four proposed cities that would be providing police, fire and 911 services. Leaders of the cityhood effort said that although they weren’t proposed in legislation introduced last year, public safety services “continued to come up in various ways” when they began meeting with the public.
Cityhood opponents have claimed insurance rates would rise, saying a new city fire department would be unlikely to get an ISO-1 rating.
And county fire officials have said in town hall meetings that response times would likely increase inside a proposed City of East Cobb, which would be covered by current Cobb stations 21 (4400 Lower Roswell Road) and 15 (3892 Oak Lane).
While Cobb officials have said fire services in the proposed City of East Cobb would cost $12 million a year, a financial feasibility study conducted for the Commitee for East Cobb Cityhood estimates the annual expenses would come to $5.7 million.
Cobb has ignored those calls, saying its Cityhood Resource Center is an objective response to public questions about the referendums.
The East Cobb Cityhood group has responded to some the Cobb Fire claims, saying residents of the proposed city are charged two to three times more for fire services than elsewhere in the county.
The cityhood supporters also said that in looking through Cobb Fire’s Strategic Plan, no capital improvements are included for stations 15 and 21. “Under funded and overcharged,” the cityhood group said. “Time for things to change.”
The World Class Cobb Fire portal indicates that Station 21 has a 2015 Pierce Arrow XT engine, a 2016 Pierce ladder truck, and a 2020 Ford F-450 Freedom Fire rescue truck.
Station 15 is equipped with a 2020 Pierce Enforcer engine.
In a flyer aimed at senior citizens, the cityhood group also says that “the city will have the ability to make targeted fire station improvements, which as of now Cobb County has no plans to improve. These benefits are extremely important for the safety and well-being of our seniors.”
The flyer also says a City of East Cobb would provide “improved ambulance transport times,” but doesn’t elaborate.
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A summer session of the Cobb Department of Public Safety’s Citizens Public Safety Academy will start in June.
The 13-week program gives citizens an inside look at how the county’s public safety agencies operate, including police, fire, emergency 911 and animal services.
Some of the planned activities include tours of public safety agencies, demonstrations on firearms safety and defensive tactics, and taking part in the Cobb Fire Department’s special operations classes (Hazardous Materials, Heavy Rescue Squad, etc).
The first day of the session is June 8 at the Cobb Public Safety Police Academy (2435 East West Connector, Austell).
Participants must be at least 21 years old and either live in Cobb County or work for Cobb County government or the Cobb County School District.
Those applying must fill out a firm and undergo a background check. You can get an application in-person at the academy or receive it via e-mail by contacting Sgt. Verola at Victor.Verola@cobbcounty.org.
Completed applications must be delivered in-person at the Cobb Police Internal Affairs Department (545 S. Fairground St., Marietta). Applicants myst bring their driver’s license.
The deadline to apply is June 1.
For questions about Cobb County Citizens Public Safety Academy, contact the Police Academy at 770-499-4100.
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Cobb Police said a woman and her dog were killed after they were struck by a pickup truck as they were crossing Sandy Plains Road near Sprayberry High School Monday night.
Police said the woman was walking her dog around 9:13 p.m. at the intersection of Sandy Plains Road and Whitlock Road when she crossed into the path of a Ford Ranger heading south on Sandy Plains.
The woman and dog were both killed on impact, according to police, who have not released her name pending notification of kin.
Police said the driver of the Ford Ranger, Robert Liebmann, 53, of Marietta, was not injured.
Police are asking anyone with information about the crash to call 770-499-3987.
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Firefighters from Cobb Fire Station 3 at the 2021 first responders luncheon.
First responders and military veterans will be treated to lunch next Wednesday, March 30, by East Cobb realtor Janice Overbeck.
She’s holding an appreciation luncheon from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Janice Overbeck Real Estate Team offices (2249 Roswell Road).
Police officers, firefighters, EMTs, active and retired military personnel are included in those invited to the luncheon. A food truck sponsored by Capital City Home Loans will serve burgers and hotdogs, along with food from other local business partners.
Attendees can have lunch on the back patio or take it to go. They’re asked to RSVP at 404-585-8881 or email janiceoverbeck@janiceoverbeck.com.
Cobb County Animal Services also will be holding an adoption event. For information click here.
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“The last thing we want to do is remove services for residents of unincorporated Cobb,” Cobb Fire Chief Bill Johnson said.
Public safety services for the proposed City of East Cobb generated much of the discussion at a town hall meeting held Wednesday night by Cobb Commission Chairwoman Lisa Cupid.
It’s the first of several town halls county officials will be holding in the coming weeks as voters in East Cobb, Lost Mountain and Vinings will decide cityhood referendums on May 24. A Mableton cityhood bill is still being considered in the Georgia legislature.
County leaders said they cannot take official positions on cityhood, but said their sessions are meant to be informational.
Questions were submitted by citizens in advance and read on index cards by Cobb public information officer Ross Cavitt.
(You can watch a replay of Wednesday’s town hall, which lasted around an hour, by clicking here. Dates and locations for future town halls are to be determined.)
At a Cobb Board of Commissioners work session in February, county finance head Bill Volckmann said the impact to the county budget would be $41.4 million annually if all four cities are created. (The county has created a cityhood page that is being updated.)
Of that, they estimate $23 million would come out of East Cobb alone (East Cobb cityhood leaders have taken issue with those financials, saying they’re misleading).
That’s because only East Cobb is proposing to have its own police and fire departments and an E911 service.
The leaders of those agencies for Cobb County government said at the town hall they’re still learning about the details of those services in East Cobb.
But they all said it’s likely that response time for those services will rise for citizens in a new City of East Cobb.
East Cobb would have two fire stations—current Cobb Station No. 21 on Lower Roswell Road and current Cobb Station No. 15 on Oak Lane.
Cobb Fire Chief Bill Johnson said those two stations would have to expand their current footprints by 13 percent to serve a City of East Cobb with nearly 60,000 residents and covering 25 square miles.
The problem, he said, is that citizens on the western edge of the city are currently served by Station No. 20 on Sewell Mill Road, No. 3 on Terrell Mill Road, No. 19 on Powers Ferry Road and No. 3 next to the Mountain View Regional Library, all of which would remain in unincorporated Cobb.
“They absolutely will see an increase in their response time,” Johnson said.
Should a City of East Cobb be formed, mutual aid agreements would be negotiated with Cobb Police and Cobb Fire, which have similar agreements with the existing six cities in the county, to provide backup.
Cobb Fire officials said citizens in the red shaded areas in the proposed East Cobb city and currently serviced by fire stations in unincorporated Cobb would have higher response times.
An East Cobb Police Department would be stationed at current Cobb Precinct 4 headquarters, with an estimated 71 officers, according to a financial feasibility study prepared for the Committee for East Cobb Cityhood.
Interim Cobb Police Chief Scott Hamilton echoed Johnson, and said that “if anybody needs help, we’ll come. At the end of the day, we’re a family and we all take care of each other. But response times are going to get longer.”
Cobb public safety leaders said they haven’t had any contact with East Cobb Cityhood proponents, but some meetings are slated to begin next week.
Cobb E911 director Melissa Altiero said she’s unclear if East Cobb would be handling its own emergency calls or have them answered by Cobb.
She said Cobb answers calls inside the City of Marietta, which has its own police and fire services, “and it’s a seamless response.”
Transferring calls from one call center to another, she said, takes an average of 40 seconds.
Altiero also said she would be concerned about misrouted calls further delaying response time in a City of East Cobb, and said there’s nothing in the East Cobb financial study about what kind of radio system it would have.
That study proposes transferring the 2.86 mills in the Cobb Fire Fund to provide the main revenue source for a city with an estimated $27.7 million annual budget (and that also provide planning and zoning, code enforcement and possibly parks and recreation services).
Johnson said that would amount to $14 million in lost revenue for the Cobb Fire Department, out of annual budget of $110 million.
What that would mean for the county fire department is uncertain, financially or in affecting its service levels.
“The last thing we want to do is remove services to unincorporated Cobb,” Johnson said. “The citizens have come to expect a high level of service and we want to continue to provide that service.”
Before those remarks, Cavitt read a citizen question to Cupid about whether the county would increase taxes to offset the loss of revenue due to new cities being formed, but she deflected it.
“It depends,” Cupid said. “But I am not aware of a new city that has been formed that has not raised taxes.
“If somebody can show me a new city that has not raised taxes, then no, your taxes won’t be raised. Will they be raised immediately, if this moves forward on the May ballot? The answer is no.
“In the short run, no would be a qualified answer. But in the long run, I have yet to be pointed to a new city that has not been formed where they have not had some increases in taxes.”
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When the cityhood effort was revived in 2021, the Committee for East Cobb Cityhood said it had considered public feedback in proposing what’s called a “city light” set of services—planning and zoning, code enforcement and parks and recreation.
New concerns had been raised since the initial cityhood effort began three years before, especially high-density zoning cases. An adult retail store opened on Johnson Ferry Road in June 2020, after skirting code issues to get a business license.
For most of last year, as they conducted virtual information sessions with the public and commissioned the feasibility study, cityhood proponents didn’t mention public safety.
Eligible voters in the proposed City of East Cobb will decide on May 24 on whether to form a new city, made up of around 60,000 people and centered along the Johnson Ferry Road corridor.
Three other proposed new cities in Cobb—Lost Mountain, Vinings and Mableton—are sticking with “city light” services designed to preserve those communities or enhance desired redevelopment.
Police and fire services were included in the initial East Cobb cityhood campaign that was abandoned at the end of 2019.
But as the East Cobb cityhood group met with community members last year, public safety “continued to come up in various ways,” said spokeswoman Cindy Cooperman.
A Cobb fire department map of the proposed city of East Cobb area (in blue) served by two fire stations.
They’ve also held information meetings with neighborhood, civic and business groups over the past year, and she said that public safety “continues to be a consistent theme.”
During a special Feb. 16 Cobb Board of Commissioners work session, county public safety officials said the information provided thus far about proposed police and fire services in East Cobb isn’t sufficient.
They said they’re concerned about increased response times and are uncertain about what they may be asked to do in support (see map at right).
When asked about concerns over the expenses involved in having public safety, Cooperman said “I get that. But the [feasibility] study looks at comparable cities . . . that have done it over the long haul.”
Specifically, those include Milton and Johns Creek in North Fulton, which both have police and fire services.
“It’s not that risky,” Cooperman said, and referred to a recent interview with the East Cobb cityhood study researcher about how the feasibility process works.
While a feasibility study isn’t a budget, the East Cobb study doesn’t detail public safety salary and benefit costs, nor continuing training and equipment expenses.
The East Cobb group explains how mutual aid agreements would be worked out over the two-year transition period, and that the new city would contract with the county for police and fire services in the interim.
But that page doesn’t indicate how an East Cobb fire department would be structured. There’s been speculation that East Cobb may follow the City of Roswell, which has many rank-and-file firefighters serving in moonlighting roles from other departments.
Mindy Seger of the anti-city East Cobb Alliance, who debated cityhood leaders in 2019, said too many changes were made to legislation this year for the May 24 referendum.
Cooperman said while she’s heard those rumors, the transition period would provide the time for “experts in the field” to work through those details.
It’s a process, she said, “that isn’t something new.”
The late changes to the proposed city services and governing structure have prompted complaints by an opposition group, the East Cobb Alliance.
The East Cobb cityhood bill sponsored by former State Rep. Matt Dollar was changed three times in the legislature, including moving the referendum from November to May, and having the mayor elected citywide after the initial bill called for council members to choose a mayor among themselves.
East Cobb Alliance leader Mindy Seger also testified before the Georgia legislature that having the vote six months earlier than originally planned won’t give voters time to “thoroughly vet the proposal and the impact it will have on our community.
“Why the rush?” she said when contacted by East Cobb News after the bill had been approved, and after Dollar stepped down from his seat.
“It’s been 4 years, 3 maps, 2 feasibility studies, 2 House bills and one untimely resignation of the legislative sponsor,” said Seger.
“The simple referendum language doesn’t begin to encompass the full weight and responsibility of incorporation and the lasting impact to our community..”
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A woman who was walking on Lower Roswell Road Thursday night died after being struck by a car.
Cobb Police said Elizabeth Hightower, 55, of Marietta, was pronounced dead at the scene.
In a release, Sgt. Wayne Delk said she was walking westbound on Lower Roswell at 6:52 p.m. when she was hit by a blue 2017 Nissan Altima, also heading westbound on Lower Roswell.
Police said the crash occurred near the intersection of Sunset Trail, east of Davidson Road.
Delk said Hightower was not walking within the crosswalk when she was struck. The 22-year-old driver of the Altima had minor injuries and refused medical treatment at the scene, Delk said.
Police said Hightower’s next of kin have been notified and that the crash is still being investigated. Anyone with information is asked to call 770-499-3987.
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Cobb Fire officials said areas in red would be in the new City of East Cobb (otherwise in blue) but are serviced by county stations. The area in yellow would remain in Cobb but is serviced by what would be a city station.
The leaders of Cobb County government’s public safety agencies said Tuesday that police and fire services for the proposed City of East Cobb are lacking many financial and service details.
During a special called work session of the Cobb Board of Commissioners, the heads of the county’s police, fire and 911 services showed slides highlighting what they’re providing, but said a financial feasibility study for East Cobb raises more questions than answers about what a new city may be able to deliver.
“We’re not here to advocate, but to educate,” Cobb public safety director Randy Crider said during the virtual work session, which included no discussion among commissioners. “But I’ve been asked a lot of questions I don’t have answers for.”
Legislation calling for a May 24 referendum to determine East Cobb Cityhood is awaiting Gov. Brian Kemp’s signature into law. Three other cityhood bills—for Lost Mountain, Mableton and Vinings—also are expected to receive passage, with referendums also in May.
Cobb Commission Chairwoman Lisa Cupid told legislators in January that cityhood votes in all four proposed areas were being rushed, and that the county hadn’t had time to examine the financial and service impacts.
Those presentations were made Tuesday at the work session by Cobb public safety, parks and community development officials.
The county has created a cityhood page that claims an estimated $45 million will be lost annually of all four new Cobb cities are created.
Nearly half of that—around $23 million—would come out of East Cobb, and most of the work session was devoted to East Cobb services, specifically police and fire. The other three cities are proposing “city light” services centered on controlling growth and development.
That was also the centerpiece of the original East Cobb legislation filed in March 2021 by former State Rep. Matt Dollar. Public safety was added last fall, as researchers from Georgia State University were conducting a financial feasibility study.
That study, released in November, concluded a City of East Cobb of around 60,000 people was financially feasible, even with public safety services estimated at costing $14 million a year.
The East Cobb bill also calls for planning and zoning, code enforcement and parks and recreation services.
More than half of the proposed city’s estimated $27 million in annual revenues would come from the 2.86 mills transferred from the Cobb Fire Fund.
At Tuesday’s work session, Crider repeated concerns he expressed to legislators that the East Cobb study is “just general” about public safety issues, including staffing, equipment, response time and training.
“We need to know what’s expected of us,” he said, referring to what may be included in intergovernmental and mutual aid agreements, similar to what the county provides in backup roles with Cobb’s six existing cities.
Crider said there aren’t enough details in the East Cobb study about exactly what specialty units a new city’s police department may have, such as SWAT units.
The East Cobb study also calls for a city fire department to consist of two stations—21 on Lower Roswell Road, at the East Cobb Government Service Center, and 15 on Oak Lane.
In showing commissioners a map of the proposed city, Cobb Fire Chief Bill Johnson said he has concerns about response time.
That’s because some parts of the proposed city (in red on the map) are served by stations that would remain in unincorporated Cobb. An area that would be located just outside of the city (in yellow) is now serviced by Station 15, which would be in the new city.
He also said he didn’t know how the East Cobb fire department would be staffed. The City of Roswell, for example, has many firefighters who work part-time shifts when off-duty from full-time jobs in other fire departments.
Stuart VanHoozer, the interim Cobb Fire Chief, and Cobb 911 Director Melissa Altiero also said they were unclear how their departments may be asked to provide support to a proposed City of East Cobb.
But Cindy Cooperman, a spokeswoman for the Committee for East Cobb Cityhood, called the county’s response “disappointing,” saying the county “has not properly briefed their staff on the well-established process in Georgia to form a city.”
Should a City of East Cobb referendum be approved, elections for a mayor and six city council members would take place in November, with a two-year transition period starting in January 2023.
She said the newly elected officials would work with a transition committee appointed by the governor to formalize processes and details for transferring services to be provided by the new city.
“This is not something new,” she said, referring to similar processes that have taken place in recent years in Milton, Johns Creek and Peachtree Corners. “These cities are thriving and have happy residents as a result.”
Cooperman also said that the “internal analysis of county staff is not credible when it suggests that the cost offset to $45M in revenue will only be approximately $450K.
“The county’s rushed attempt at an analysis was not thorough enough because many vital details on actual costs still need to be disclosed by the county.
“They had a year to analyze this properly and failed to do so,” Cooperman said.
The only direct meeting between East Cobb Cityhood forces and the county was in April of 2021 between Dollar and Cupid.
Cooperman said the cityhood group reached out to Cupid for a meeting in November with the addition of police and fire services, but has not yet heard back.
He provided a statement from Cupid referencing the Dollar meeting and saying that “I met other proponents about the effort approximately 2-3 weeks ago during a legislative meeting. They said they wanted to meet again and we will work on making that happen.”
Cooperman said the cityhood group is planning an in-person town hall after the Cobb County School District winter break next week, but a specific date has not been set.
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The GBI said a Hyundai Elantra spotted on Johnson Ferry Road Monday afternoon belonged to a south Georgia woman who was found dead in her home.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said Tuesday that a vehicle stolen from a woman found dead in her South Georgia home on Monday has been spotted in the East Cobb area.
A GBI release Tuesday said a 2006 Black Hyundai Elantra was seen Monday afternoon along Johnson Ferry Road.
The Hyundai was seen near 313 Johnson Ferry Road at 12:22 p.m. Monday, according to the GBI.
That’s located near the intersection of Johnson Ferry and Powers Road, below Lower Roswell Road.
The GBI said the car, which has a temporary Georgia tag of C0521643, belonged to a woman who was found dead in her home in Dawson, Ga., on Monday.
The GBI said after 2 p.m. Monday, Dawson Police responded to a call of an unresponsive person at a home. When police arrived, according to the GBI, they found Annie Josie Chappell, 59, who was dead.
The GBI didn’t indicate how the woman died, nor did it provide any further information about the incident.
Dawson is located in Terrell County, near Albany.
The GBI is asking anyone with information to call the Dawson Police Department at 229-995-4414 or the GBI’s regional investigate office in Sylvester at 229-777-2080.
Anonymous tips can also be submitted by calling 1-800-597-TIPS(8477), online at https://gbi.georgia.gov/submit-tips-online, or by downloading the See Something, Send Something mobile app.
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An employee at Blackwell Elementary School in Northeast Cobb has been charged with eavesdropping and cruelty to children after Cobb Police said a student saw a surveillance camera in a boys bathroom this week and reported it to a teacher.
A warrant taken out on Friday against Justin Julian, 37, of Acworth, shows that he has been charged with three counts of unlawful surveillance and one count of first degree child cruelty—all felonies—after separate alleged incidents at the Canton Road school on Wednesday.
He was taken into custody on Friday and was released from the Cobb County Adult Detention Center Saturday on a $15,000 bond, according to Cobb Sheriff’s Office records.
The warrant alleges that Julian placed a camera in a boys bathroom and on Wednesday afternoon observed a 10-year-old boy using the urinal. According to the warrant, the boy saw the camera “and was distraught and notified a school teacher.”
The warrant also alleges that Julian watched an 8-year-old boy and another 10-year-old boy use the urinal via a bathroom camera during the same time period.
Neither the warrant nor a message that went out to the Blackwell community specified Julian’s job at the school.
The Blackwell message said that school officials reported the allegations “to the local authorities and worked closely with them throughout the investigation.”
The staff member, the Blackwell message said, “is no longer allowed in our school building.”
The warrant states that Julian was required to wear an ankle monitor before he was released and he is not allowed to have contract with children 16 or under, or linger anywhere children of that age range are present.
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An East Cobb man was arrested Sunday and charged with causing a serious motorcycle crash in Acworth that sent another man to the hospital.
Cobb Police said William English Akin, 55, of Mystic Court in northeast Cobb, was booked into the Cobb County Adult Detention Center Sunday on charges of DUI, failure to yield, and causing a serious injury by vehicle.
The latter is a felony charge, and Cobb Sheriff’s Office records indicate Akin was released on a $5,000 bond early Monday morning.
According to Cobb Police spokesman Sgt. Wayne Delk, a black 2001 Harley-Davidson XL1200C motorcycle was heading southbound on Cherokee Street in a right turn lane to westbound Lake Acworth Drive at 6:16 p.m. Sunday.
Police said that a brown 2017 GMC Sierra leaving a Racetrac gas station then veered into the path of the motorcycle, whose driver applied the brakes to avoid a collision.
But police said the Harley-Davidson overturned and the driver was ejected from the bike.
Delk said the motorcyclist, John Lloyd, 47, of Acworth, was taken to Wellstar Kennestone Hospital with serious injuries.
Police said an investigation into the crash continues and that anyone with information is asked to call 770-499-3987.
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The Cobb Sheriff’s Office said Saturday it is assigning additional personnel to the areas around Cumberland Mall and Town Center at Cobb for the rest of the holiday shopping season.
A release said that deputies assigned to the department’s Uniform Patrol and the Fugitive Apprehension and Support Team (F.A.S.T.) began conducting routine patrols in the shopping areas around those malls on Monday, and will continue to do so through Dec. 31.
The release said while the office “is not aware of any threats, the sheriff wants to provide a safe atmosphere for those completing their holiday shopping.”
Sheriff Craig Owens said in a statement that the increased patrols are “meant to ease shoppers’ minds as they complete their last minute holiday tasks.”
Among the safety tips recommended for shoppers anywhere include not leaving packages in plain sight in vehicles, lock car doors, don’t leave vehicles unattended and remember where you park.
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Last week Cobb County officials broke ground for the replacement building for the Gritters Library in Northeast Cobb (renderings and a previous post here).
On Monday, they were back in the area to shovel some turf for another new facility, the forthcoming Cobb Police Precinct 6.
That’s located next to the Mountain View Aquatic Center on Gordy Parkway, and the county provided the first renderings (seen above) of what it will look like when finished.
At Monday’s event were Cobb Commission Chairwoman Lisa Cupid, District 3 Commissioner JoAnn Birrell, Police Chief Tim Cox, Director of Public Safety Randy Crider, County Manager Dr. Jackie McMorris, and State Sen. Kay Kirkpatrick.
In November commissioners approved spending the first part of $5 million in 2016 SPLOST funds for the new precinct, which will initially house police special units but will not have a patrol zone.
The area will continue to be covered by Cobb Police patrols out of Precinct 4, located off Lower Roswell Road, and that stretches to the east side of Canton Road.
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Cobb Police Precinct 4 at the East Cobb Government Service Center is an e-commerce “safe zone.”
Submitted information:
This holiday season, everyone will be searching for the perfect gift at the perfect price and many will turn to e-commerce sites like Craigslist, Offer-Up and Facebook Market Place to purchase those gifts. Cobb County wants to ensure these purchases are done in a safe manner at a safe location.
Cobb Police Department staff has implemented “E-Commerce Zones” at all five precincts and headquarters to provide residents with safe places to conduct trades and sales. The zones are marked with blue signs in well-lit places that are monitored by video surveillance.
Locations of E-Commerce Safe Zones at Police Precincts and Headquartes:
Precinct 1: 2380 N. Cobb Parkway Kennesaw, GA 30152
Precinct 2: 4700 Austell Rd Austell, GA 30106
Precinct 3: 1901 Cumberland Parkway Atlanta, GA 30339
Precinct 4: 4400 Lower Roswell Rd Marietta, GA 30067
Precinct 5: 4640 Dallas Highway Powder Springs, GA 30127
Headquarters: 140 North Marietta Parkway Marietta, GA 30060
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Current Cobb police patrol zones include Precinct 4, located on Lower Roswell Road in East Cobb.
UPDATED:
Commissioners approved the design/construction contract by a 5-0 vote, with District 3 representative JoAnn Birrell saying “this has been a long time coming.”
She said a groundbreaking will take place on Dec. 1 at 11 a.m.
ORIGINAL POST:
Initial design work for a new police station in Northeast Cobb is on the agenda for the Cobb Board of Commissioners Tuesday.
A contract for $723,980 with Batson-Cook Company is being presented to commissioners to design what would eventually become the Cobb Police Department’s Precinct 6.
It’s the first part of a two-phase project that’s been budgeted for $5 million in 2016 Cobb SPLOST funding.
The Batson-Cook project work would include “design, project fee, and general conditions costs” for Precinct 6, according to the agenda item.
There was no other information available about the project, including the future precinct patrol area and location and how it would be staffed and funded.
Cobb government spokesman Ross Cavitt told East Cobb News in response to those questions that Precinct 6 would be located next to the Mountain View Aquatic Center (2650 Gordy Parkway).
Initially, the new facility will house the police department’s specialized units “and not have a patrol zone. That could change in the future, but that is the starting point.”
Most of the East Cobb area is currently included in Precinct 4, whose station is located on Lower Roswell Road.
That precinct runs from the Powers Ferry Road area to the east side of Canton Road.
Last month, the Cobb Police Department moved into its new headquarters on Fairground Street, in the former LGE Community Credit Union building, a project that cost $13.5 million, also from the 2016 SPLOST.
The department had been operating out of overcrowded space on the North Marietta Parkway and Cherokee Street.
The full agenda for Tuesday’s commissioners meeting can be found here; it will start at 9 a.m. and take place in the second floor board room of the Cobb government building (100 Cherokee St., downtown Marietta).
COVID-19 protocols are being followed, including mandatory masks and a limit on in-person attendance due to social-distancing.
The hearing also will be live-streamed on the county’s website, cable TV channel (Channel 24 on Comcast) and Youtube page. Visit cobbcounty.org/CobbTV for other streaming options.
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Like many others in the metro-Atlanta area, Cobb County Police is excited that our Braves are vying for Major League Baseball’s championship in the Fall Classic. Though we are celebrating along with everyone else, the Cobb County Police Department is also taking our role of maintaining public safety very seriously. We continue as the lead public safety agency at Truist Park, The Battery, and the surrounding areas. With the increased traffic (both vehicular and pedestrian), we have increased our footprint in all areas, and the public will notice a marked increase in patrol officers. Our department has coordinated extensive operations plans with Atlanta Braves, Cobb County Fire and Emergency Services, Cobb County Sheriff’s Office, and other federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies who have either assisted with personnel resources or will be affected by the increased flow of traffic into their own jurisdictions.
Even with our increased presence and extra security measures, we still need the public’s help in keeping this a safe and fun event for all. We encourage all visitors to Cobb County to remember to Lock-Take-Hide. While visiting for the games or out at any other venues, please make sure to Lock your vehicle when you park. Take anything of value out of your car before you leave home (or your hotel, if visiting). And if you can’t remove items of value from your car, be sure to Hide them in the trunk long before you arrive at your destination. Purses, laptops, and handguns are high-value targets for thieves and are usually the items taken from vehicles that are broken into. Please visit Cobb Travel and Tourism (www.travelcobb.org) for additional information on other events and venues if you are visiting Cobb County for the first time.
See something, say something.
Yes, we will be out in numbers, but we can’t see everything and be everywhere. If you notice something out of place or a crime being committed, please call 9-1-1. Officers working in the area will be responding to 9-1-1 calls at The Battery and the surrounding areas in as quickly a manner as possible. With the increased number of officers on foot patrol our response time to calls will be greatly decreased (faster). Reporting criminal or suspicious activity as soon as possible can help keep everyone safe and quite possibly could avoid a potentially major dangerous situation for all.
We will have a number of officers on hand specifically to help direct traffic flow (both vehicular and pedestrian). In addition, our Twitter feed (@cobbpolice1) will post updates of any traffic events and/or emergencies. We’ll also post any newsworthy updates through Twitter as well. If you aren’t following us yet, head over to Twitter and add @cobbpolice1.
The Cobb County Police Department is proud to be part of this historic occasion. And our #1 priority is to maintain a safe environment for all as we celebrate and root on our hometown Braves.
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Additional police and security will be out in force around Truist Park and The Battery Atlanta this weekend for the first World Series games in Cobb County. (ECN file)
Here’s a very late addition to the Cobb Board of Commissioners meeting lineup Tuesday night:
Just as the Atlanta Braves are set to play their first World Series game in 22 years, commissioners will be approved spending up to $350,000 in “emergency” security and other costs for games played this weekend at Truist Park.
The vote was a unanimous 5-0.
The Braves play the Astros in Houston Tuesday and Wednesday; Games 3, 4 and 5 (if necessary) would be at Truist Park Friday, Saturday and Sunday, all evening games.
The county sent out a release late Tuesday afternoon saying that the money will come from its reserve and the expenses “could include such things as supplies, equipment, signage, and overtime.”
Cobb Finance Director William Volckmann told commissioners most of the money will be used for additional overtime for security and law enforcement.
County spokesman Ross Cavitt said in the release that Cobb public safety officials have been holding meetings with Major League Baseball and state and local officials.
Cobb Public Safety Director Randy Crider said in the release that baseline security procedures have already been established stemming from plans for the MLB All-Star Game, which was to have been at Truist Park in July.
This weekend’s games will be the first World Series games to be played in Cobb County by the Braves. The franchise won its only World Series in 1995 in Atlanta at Atlanta Fulton-County Stadium.
Their last World Series was played at Turner Field in downtown Atlanta in 1999, when the Braves lost to the New York Yankees.
The Cobb statement said Cobb Police have cancelled leave, strengthened shifts and added special units “in order to increase manpower around the stadium.”
The release didn’t say how much more personnel would be in force, nor what any extra security or traffic measures would entail.
Truist Park has had five postseason games already in 2021, and the Braves clinched both of their previous series there, first against the Milwaukee Brewers and on Saturday against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Cobb release did say the following:
“Cobb Police and Cobb DOT have a proven traffic plan to get people in and out of the area, and they will be coordinating with GDOT and our neighboring cities to make sure fans can get in and out of the area as quickly and safely as possible. With a popular convention at the Galleria this weekend, county leaders are hoping as many area businesses as possible will encourage their employees to work remotely this Friday.”
Commission chairwoman Lisa Cupid:
“Much like the Braves, we faced some adversity earlier this year. But we are eager for the eyes of the sports world to see the unique venue that is Truist Park and the Battery Atlanta which has helped solidify Cobb County as one of the premier tourist destinations in the southeast.”
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