Metro Atlanta
Metro Atlanta

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.

Follow Mark Niesse on twitter
More Stories

Keep Reading

A man fatally shot his mother and stepfather Saturday in Powder Springs because he was tired of them and wanted to be alone, according to his arrest warrants. (Channel 2 Action News)

Credit: Channel 2 Action News

NEW DETAILS

Cobb man killed mother, stepfather after wanting to be alone, warrant says

Officers were called to the Powder Springs home for a domestic incident Saturday and found the two victims suffering from several gunshot wounds.

33m ago

Man found dead in street in SW Atlanta neighborhood, police say

Officers are investigating early Monday in the Baker Hills neighborhood.

2h ago

Cobb lottery player wins $1M as Powerball jackpot climbs to 7th largest

Grand prize in Monday night’s drawing is an estimated $875 million.

1h ago

The Latest

A man fatally shot his mother and stepfather Saturday in Powder Springs because he was tired of them and wanted to be alone, according to his arrest warrants. (Channel 2 Action News)

Credit: Channel 2 Action News

NEW DETAILS

Cobb man killed mother, stepfather after wanting to be alone, warrant says

33m ago

Cobb lottery player wins $1M as Powerball jackpot climbs to 7th largest

1h ago

Man found dead in street in SW Atlanta neighborhood, police say

2h ago

Featured

Ceudy Gutierrez reads a book to her 2-year-old son, Matias, at their home in Buford, GA, on Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025. Ceudy Gutierrez is struggling to make ends meet for herself and her three young kids following her husband’s ICE arrest earlier this fall. (Miguel Martinez/ AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez

When ICE takes breadwinners, it takes a toll on families ... and on the economy

For immigrant families, brushes with ICE can result in financial precarity that could have implications for the broader economy.

‘I’m a bad kid,’ he told himself. How Georgia’s special ed program failed one child.

Parents find that it's easy to get into the GNETS program, but in some districts, difficult to leave.

‘A lot of blame, but not enough action’: Atlanta leaders lack path to fix jail

Stakeholders across Atlanta and Fulton County grapple with a complex web of issues that contribute to overcrowding, crumbling structure.