Mike Register brought several pages of prepared remarks to Wednesday’s East Cobb Civic Association meeting as he aimed to lay out his vision as the newly named Cobb Police Chief.
After detailing his long career in the military and his return to the Cobb PD after serving as Clayton County Police Chief, real-time matters intervened to punctuate Register’s desire to make significant changes in the way officers are trained and how they deal with the public.
An hour before Register’s ECCA address at the East Cobb Library, WSB-TV reported that Lt. Greg Abbott, a 28-year Cobb PD veteran, had been placed on administrative leave after a dash-cam video revealed him making racially charged remarks to a female passenger riding in a car pulled over on a traffic stop in July 2016.
According to what was heard on the video, the white woman reached for her cell phone as Abbott approached, making a reference to police shootings. He said to her: “Remember, we only kill black people. We only kill black people, right?”
In the WSB-TV report, Abbott’s attorney said the officer’s comments were not taken in their proper context, claiming he was trying to defuse the situation.
Register, who succeeded retired chief John Houser in June, told the ECCA gathering that the officer’s comments were “hurtful,” and were “inappropriate in any context and not indicative of the values we’re trying to instill in the Cobb Police Department.”
At one point during his ECCA appearance, Register was summoned out of the room for a few minutes by County Manager Rob Hosack.
UPDATED, 4 p.m. Thursday: At a news conference on Thursday, Register and other county officials said Abbott would be terminated, adding that “it’s not the kind of decision we make lightly.”
On Tuesday, Cobb Police had to respond a WSB-TV report, based on a body-cam video, of an officer shooting at an unarmed teen eight times last November. That officer had already announced his resignation, and the Cobb District Attorney’s office recommended no charges.
Register said the video of that incident prompted him to call for changes in the Cobb PD regarding use of force and firearms training (The suspect’s lawyer is planning a lawsuit, according to the WSB-TV report).
After the second incident, Register admitted in his ECCA remarks that “we’re having some challenges.”
Although the incidents took place before he became chief, Register also inherited the recommendations of a report prepared for the Cobb Police Department by the International Association of Chiefs of Police. The IACP report, which was issued in May (here’s the full PDF), urged the Cobb PD to address perceptions of racism and discriminatory policing, and recommended greater staffing and training improvements.
Another key recommendation, which Register said he is making a top priority, is focusing on community-oriented policing.
He held a “faith forum” with Cobb religious leaders earlier this month, and said another meeting in November is designed to address issues with gangs.
As part of an enhanced community engagement process, Register said he is creating a full-fledged community affairs unit. In this new group, an officer from each of the five county precincts will be designated to street-level work within those communities.
Those activities include working at festivals and events, dealing with business and civic groups, and increasing the department’s social media presence. The new group also will include a liaison to the Cobb Hispanic community, Register said.
In addition, streamlined changes in how the precinct commanders communicate with one another, and with the Cobb PD headquarters, have been approved the command staff.
“This is new and it’s going to take time” to enact, said Major Jerry Quan, the commander of Precinct 4 in East Cobb. “We’re moving forward with this, and it’s a really good thing.”
Training initiatives stemming from the IACP report, Register said, are designed to prepare future police leadership, and make it “better and more effective.”
Ensuring better care of officers, including peer counseling and dealing with intense public scrutiny, especially on social media, is also essential. Officers are asked to lay their lives on the line, Register said, “but [not] make any mistakes.”
Addressing those pressures helps not only the officers, but the public they’re pledged to serve, he added.
“We want you to feel comfortable with your police department,” Register said.
