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

ajc.com

Credit: Photo Illustration: Philip Robibero / AJC | Source: Riley Bunch / AJC, Getty, Courtesy

AJC analysis: Southwest Atlanta voters hand council presidency to Overstreet

An Atlanta Journal-Constitution analysis of the vote found Marci Overstreet dominating the Southwest Atlanta votes.

Family of child injured in tow truck crash gets $13 million verdict

Tow truck company, driver were named in two other traffic accident injury lawsuits since 2023.

To TAD or not to TAD: Council considers Dickens’ $5 billion development plan

Mayor Andre Dickens’ ambitious plan to extend 8 Tax Allocation Districts is being held in city council committee for more debate.

The Latest

ajc.com

Credit: Photo Illustration: Philip Robibero / AJC | Source: Riley Bunch / AJC, Getty, Courtesy

AJC analysis: Southwest Atlanta voters hand council presidency to Overstreet

Family of child injured in tow truck crash gets $13 million verdict

To TAD or not to TAD: Council considers Dickens’ $5 billion development plan

Featured

U.S. Rep. Mike Collins' Senate campaign used Sen. Jon Ossoff's Senate portrait (center) to create an AI-generated video of Ossoff talking about his vote not to end the government shutdown. The video was reposted to Collins' campaign account on X (left). (Screenshot)

Credit: Screenshot

OPINON

Murphy: Jon Ossoff warned about deepfakes. Now he is one.

A Mike Collins campaign video uses AI to make Sen. Jon Ossoff say outlandish things. A proposed state law would rein in such uses of AI in campaigns.

President of Atlanta Fed Raphael Bostic announces retirement

Atlanta Fed President and CEO Raphael Bostic has served in the role since 2017, and is the first Black and openly gay chief executive of a regional Fed bank.

1h ago

Savannah ditched 2 marathons. Can shorter race find Peachtree-like success?

Savannah is an attractive destination for those whose idea of a fun weekend getaway is a road race. But two marathons have left town. Will Saturday's shorter race be a keeper?