Cobb Police Department

East Cobb Health Park is collection point for Cobb medication take back day

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The Cobb Police Department, Safe Kids Cobb County and WellStar are joining forces Saturday to encourage Cobb citizens to round up unwanted, unused and expired medications and drop them off at selected locations in the county this Saturday.  It’s the Cobb medication take back day, which began in 2015.

Saturday’s event takes place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and the WellStar East Cobb Health Park (3747 Roswell Road) is one of those collection locations.

More from Cobb government: East Cobb Health Park

“Do your part to prevent accidental poisoning, overdoses and improper use of medications by simply taking your medications to one of these three drop-off locations. Your efforts will ultimately save lives by removing expired and unused prescription medications from your medicine cabinet. No questions will be asked and no forms or ID required. Sharps, liquids and pills are accepted. Since these events started in 2015, a little more than two tons of medication has been collected. WellStar Clinical Partners will also offer flu shots at the Acworth and East Cobb Health Park locations (not available at the Cobb Senior Services location). Cobb County Police Department and Safe Kids Cobb County team up with WellStar to offer this event in our community. For more information these events, call 770-793-7373.”

A few more details about the flu shots: They’re for adults and children ages 13 and older, and there is a $24 out-of-pocket cost if you’re not using your medical provider. Contact WellStar Clinical Partners at 470-644-0889 or email: wellstarclinicalpart@wellstar.org.

New Cobb police chief responds to officer incidents, vows to change training, community policing methods

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Mike Register, Cobb Police Chief
“We’re having some challenges,” Cobb Police Chief Mike Register told the East Cobb Civic Association Wednesday. (East Cobb News photo by Wendy Parker)

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.”

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