Fulton cops say goodbye to the Northside

Metro Atlanta

Fulton cops say goodbye to the Northside

On Saturday, April 26, 2008, the Fulton County police department will no longer reign in North Fulton. The new city movement, which has split up Fulton County in the past three years, also carved the county police force in half.

On Saturday, the Fulton County police department will no longer reign in North Fulton. The new city movement, which has split up Fulton County in the past three years, also carved the county police force in half.

Six-year officer Rob Russo packs up his office. The 28-year-old will be sworn in as a Johns Creek detective. "I'm looking forward to the chance to be there 20 or 25 years, and to say, 'I built this place'" Russo said.

The rush to cityhood nearly dismantled Fulton County Police, which was reinstated in 1975, specifically to patrol the unincorporated areas of the county.

The City of Sandy Springs was the first to start winnowing down the department in July 2006 when their own force moved in and Fulton police moved out.

Sandy Springs police Lt. Steve Rose (seen here with his Ozzy Osborne bobblehead doll) was a Fulton County cop for 25 years, and the community affairs officer on the northside before joining the new city in 2005. "The question that came up in every neighborhood watch meeting I attended was, 'Why did it take so long to respond?'" Rose said.

Fulton County Police Capt. Jim Lee directs morning traffic coming out of a Roswell subdivision. Although Fulton cops will no longer patrol the area, they will be able to take paid off-duty assignments like Lee's morning traffic detail.

The department will always relish some of its cases that made headlines. In April 1978, Atlanta millionaire and porn king Michael Thevis escaped from an Indiana jail. He arranged to have key witnesses in his trial killed in a wooded area of Sandy Springs in October 1978.

In January 1997, two bombs went off injuring seven at Atlanta Northside Family Planning Services in Sandy Springs. After an exhaustive manhunt Eric Rudolph was captured in May 2003. He later pleaded guilty to this bombing as well as the 1996 bombing at Centennial Olympic Park.

As of April 27, 35 county patrol cars will be reassigned to South Fulton County. Most officers agree, the parting will be bittersweet.

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On Saturday, the Fulton County police department will no longer reign in North Fulton. The new city movement, which has split up Fulton County in the past three years, also carved the county police force in half.

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