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WATCH: Departing DeKalb safety director talks modern policing

DeKalb County Public Safety Director Cedric Alexander is resigning

DeKalb County Public Safety Director Cedric Alexander is resigning after a term in which he rose to national prominence as an advocate for improved relationships between police and their communities. (Video: HYOSUB SHIN/AJC; edit: ARMANI MARTIN/AJC)
By Mark Niesse
March 3, 2017

Police officers need to build trust with the communities they protect — by taking kids to the movies, attending local meetings and building relationships with residents.

That's the message of outgoing DeKalb County Public Safety Director Cedric Alexander, who announced this week he's retiring from law enforcement after a 40-year career.

Alexander, 62, is a national advocate for community policing, which relies on community partnerships to help fight crime.

He has also pushed for more officer training on recognizing their biases, de-escalating situations and dealing with those who have mental health problems.

Please read more about Alexander's philosophy and time in office on MyAJC.com.

About the Author

Mark Niesse is an enterprise reporter and covers elections and Georgia government for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and is considered an expert on elections and voting. Before joining the AJC, he worked for The Associated Press in Atlanta, Honolulu and Montgomery, Alabama. He also reported for The Daily Report and The Santiago Times in Chile.

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