Cobb County, Ga. police begin area-wide community discussion groups

Under the advisement of newly appointed Chief Michael Register, police officials are meeting with community leaders and faith based organizations in an effort to develop trust, transparency, and mutual respect with law enforcement. The newly organized groups will be discussing issues and concerns, seeking partnered solutions, and gaining better clarity of organizational and community perspectives.

The mission: defining and improving community policing.

The discussions are being held at different times in each of Cobb's five precincts. "Each precinct has discussion groups with five to eight members to discuss any concerns the community may have with the police," said Deputy Chief C.T. Cox, a Cobb County resident for over 50 years.

The first meeting for Precinct IV was held at 7 p.m. last night at police headquarters on Lower Roswell Road. The meeting was led by Major Jerry Quan and Captain Everett Cebula. Group members present included Joseph Gavalis, Tomi and Kurk Johnson, Byron Wells, Tony Bailey, Richard Durden, Roger Phelps, and Jerry South.

The group formations are also the result of a $93,000, 267-page report made by the International Association Chiefs of Police (IACP) commissioned by the department after Commissioner Lisa Cupid alleged she was racially profiled and followed by an officer late at night in an unmarked car. To view the report, go to: 
https://s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/cobbcounty.org.if-us-west-2/prod/2018-07/IACP_CCPD_Final_Report.pdf

It is unclear whether recommendations to improve Cobb County police will be funded out of existing budgets or will require a tax hike.

The report cited the following issues:

Recruiting, hiring and properly training new officers

Building relationships and trust with the community in a co-production model of policing, with modern policing methods and practices

Implementing adjustments to staffing and deployments

Adjusting organizational leadership actions to support the transition to a co-production policing model and procedural justice focused management style.

“We have a pretty good department, and many things we do in the community to help citizens are not promoted in the media,” Captain Cebula stated. “We have a 91.5% approval rating and are doing what we can with what we have.”

“We need 60 more officers,” Major Quan told the group. “We have 10 beats with main challenges in high density population areas where Section 8 housing exists,” Quan said. Crime in high density areas is disputed in some circles, but it seems to be more of an issue in major U.S. cities as opposed to Japan which has the opposite scenario. 

Crime in high density areas could be due to devolution of the family unit, decline in moral values, children raising themselves with predictable results, too many parents not involved in raising their offspring, etc., according to a Guns and Ammo forum.

It was mentioned that some community members would not like the idea of hiring 60 more police officers unless they were guaranteed new recruits would be properly trained to "protect and serve" rather than kill unarmed lawbreakers. Quan said department policy mandates officers to use voice recorders at all traffic stops and that body cameras are not being used by all officers due to funding restraints. 

It was also stated by Kurk Johnson that many confrontations between the police and citizens could be improved with proper communication techniques which require special training. It costs $120k to train officers, and new hires can expect to make $40,014.18 to $64,022.89 per year, according to the Cobb County Police website.

Calls for Service in Cobb County in July totaled 4584, with false alarms being the most prevalent. (Alarms – 682, Suspicious Calls – 355, Auto Accidents – 344, Domestic Disputes – 235, Traffic Stops – 1245, Citations issued – 1496.)

Group members have also been invited to attend the Citizens Public Safety Academy Program, a 14-week introduction into procedures by police, fire, animal control, and 911 which begins Sept. 5. The group’s next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, September 19.

The Cobb County Police Department is a CALEA accredited and nationally recognized full-service law enforcement agency, with an authorized strength of 690 sworn officers, located in the metropolitan Atlanta area, and services a population of approximately 800,000 citizens. 

For more information on this group, call Major Jerry Quan at 770-499-3928.

Major Quan and Kurk Johnson pose after meeting.

Cresent sun and the total eclipse

Eclipse as reported on mainstream television

Ok. So, millions got hyped up over the prospects of a total solar eclipse.

Since I couldn't find any special glasses and was not about to pay $25 to go watch it with a crowd, I made my own viewer from an old cracker box, some aluminum foil, and a nail. I went to my son's house where there's a clear, unobstructed view of the sky. Then we waited. 

My son, Ayron, viewing solar eclipse

View inside my box when eclipse started

What happened next was more than I was expecting...

Selfie with Sun reflection on cheek and brilliance overhead

Selfie with Sun reflection on forehead

I think Jesus came back for a few seconds and reminded me that He has all power in Heaven and Earth, not the politicians. After the brilliant and shining star was haloed by our moon, Jesus decided to retreat, but never did the Sun blacken out or was God's brilliance diminished from my viewpoint...

A lot of people made money off this event which will repeat itself soon.

Jesus is said to be the morning star. God is believed to be the Sun. You should not look at the sun because of its powerful and blinding brilliance. 


Saul was blinded and knocked off his horse while traveling to Damascus. He later became a great evangelist.

The brilliance of the Sun is not diminished by our moon.


What I learned: Nothing can diminish God's power, and we should not forget it!

As we were watching the sun, my son's next door neighbor, whose wife had just died, arrived with the funeral entourage. 

Life and death moves on just like the mission of the sun (Son).

All power in life and death belongs to God, including during a total eclipse.

Fr. Moses Berry coming to ATL church for conference

Father Moses Berry, an orthodox priest and museum curator, will be the guest speaker at St. John the Wonderworker Church in Atlanta, August 26, at 10 a.m. The church is located at 543 Cherokee Ave SE in Atlanta, Ga. 

Berry is the co-founder of The Brotherhood of St. Moses the Black. "Moses is known from his interviews, articles, and unique perspective on the relationship of the African American experience and the ancient Orthodox faith," said Fr. Tom Alessandroni, church pastor. "He is a wonderful story teller with a good story to tell that is full of hope and the spirit of reconciliation of all things in Christ."

Berry will be bringing with him artifacts from The Ozarks African American Heritage Museum, quilts made by slaves, and some personal items which belonged to Harriet Tubman.

The first session will begin at 10 a.m. following the Divine Liturgy at 8 a.m. in the church. A continental breakfast will be served beforehand, and lunch including African specialties and American "soul food" will be provided in the church basement. There is no charge for the conference or the meals, although donations are welcomed. 

Attendees are encouraged to register on the church website (http://www.saintjohnwonderworker.org/new-events/) so an accurate count to prepare meals can be made.

For more information on this event, call 404.577.6330 or 678.373.9433, or email info@saintjohnwonderworker.org.

Mike Espy to receive Witherspoon Award

Attorney Mike Espy of Jackson, Mississippi will receive the 16th annual Estelle Witherspoon Lifetime Achievement Award at a fundraising banquet Thursday, August 17 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel on Interstate 495 in Birmingham, Alabama. The Award is part of The Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund's 50th Annual Meeting Celebration on August 17 to 19, 2017. Arising from the Civil Rights Movement, the Federation/LAF has served low-income farmers and rural people in the South.

Mike Espy with Federation/LAF members in Mississippi in 1990s

Espy, 63, served in the U.S. House of Representatives. While in Congress, he co-sponsored the "Minority Farmers Rights Bill" in the 1980s and helped to get several of its major components, including the Section 2501 Outreach Program, into the 1990 Farm Bill. From 1993 to 1994, he was President Bill Clinton's Secretary of Agriculture. As Secretary of Agriculture, Espy worked closely with the Federation/LAF on efforts to bring greater civil rights concerns to the department. As a lawyer, he worked with Federation/LAF members on the Black farmer lawsuit against the USDA. 

Estelle Witherspoon was the manager of the Freedom Quilting Bee in Alberta, Alabama and a founding member of the Federation/LAF.  Espy has worked closely with the Federation/LAF in all of his professional pursuits.
The organization was founded in 1967 by 22 cooperatives and credit unions.

For more information and to register for event, go to:  https://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/eventReg?oeidk=a07eeb0tfmn9d9e569a&oseq=&c=&ch=

New York Life promotes George Nichols to Executive Vice President

Although this happened in March 2017, we've just learned that a longtime friend has been promoted to Executive Vice President at New York Life.

George Nichols is in charge of the Office of Governmental Affairs at NY Life, which includes all state, federal and international legislative, regulatory and public policy issues at the company. With the appointment, Nichols, who has led the Office of Governmental Affairs since 2007, will take on additional duties on an array of enterprise initiatives in support of the company’s long-term strategic objectives.

Nichols joined New York Life in 2001 as Senior Vice President and Assistant to the Chairman. From October 2001 until April 2003, Nichols was Senior Vice President in the Agency Department, responsible for overseeing standards, communications and technology related to the distribution of New York Life products through its licensed agents in the United States. For the next four years, Mr. Nichols served as Senior Vice President and Profit Center Head for New York Life’s AARP Tampa Operations, the leading direct marketer of life insurance for people ages 50 and above.

“Since joining the company, George’s leadership and expertise have been major contributors to our continued growth and success,” said Ted Mathas, Chairman and CEO of New York Life. Mathas. “He has led key parts of our organization, helping to solidify our leadership position in the industry and ably represented our company on the complex issues shaping the political, financial and regulatory landscapes around the world. I look forward to partnering with him on advancing our strategic agenda moving forward.”  

Nichols is a former Commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Insurance, where he regulated the state’s insurance industry and was recognized for his expertise in health insurance reform and financial services integration. He has served as President of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners and as Special Adviser to former Kentucky Governor Paul Patton. 

---information from New York Life's website.

Pics for today...

See any similarities???

KKK hood on display inside National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, DC.

Washington Monument near National Museum of African American History and Culture

Street view of National Museum of African American History and Culture and Washington Monument

(Photos and comparison by Tomi Johnson)

Photos for today...

Even amidst extreme wealth and beauty, you can always view people down on their luck.
--- streets of Madrid, Spain 

Thought for today...

"I speak Spanish to God, Italian to women, French to men and German to my horse." ---Charles V of Spain

Rooftop view of Madrid by Tomi Johnson

Inspiration for today...

Fly like an eagle! (Photo taken en-route to Hawaii by Tomi Johnson)

"The American Negro Academy believes that upon those of the race who have had the advantages of higher education and culture, rests the responsibility of taking concerted steps for the employment of these agencies to uplift the race to higher planes of thought and action.

"Two great obstacles to this consummation are apparent: (a) The lack of unity, want of harmony, absence of a self-sacrificing spirit, and no well-defined line of policy seeking definite aims; and (b) The persistent, relentless, at times covert opposition employed to thwart the Negro at every step of his upward struggles to establish the justness of his claim to the highest physical, intellectual and moral possibilities.

"...the history of the world is the history, not of individuals, but of groups, not of nations, but of races, and he who ignores or seeks to override the race idea in human history ignores and overrides the central thought of all history."

--- from The Conservation of Races by W. E.B. DuBois, 1897
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/31254/31254-h/31254-h.htm

LeBron's statement on race and my comment...

LeBron (l) said he thought about Emmett Till (r) when his home was vandalized. Afterwards, his team lost the first game in the 2017 NBA finals.
(Photos by Keith Allison from Hanover, MD, USA and Mamie Till)

RACISM CONTINUES BECAUSE IT IS ALLOWED TO EXIST and "promoted" in every institution around the globe.

Recently I was asked to comment on LeBron James' remarks about a hate crime perpetrated on his Los Angeles home.
https://sports.yahoo.com/news/reports-lebron-james-los-angeles-area-home-vandalized-racial-slur-163737147.html

Here are my first thoughts:
Some things remain the same. They will cheer us on at the game because we're their best entertainers, and they get a kick out of seeing us throw balls through hoops! No matter what we achieve, we still don't get the respect we deserve, even from our own people sometimes. If we exchanged the slave, rapist, uncivilized, thief image for an image of entrepreneur, scientist, moralist, etc, it still doesn't "trump" the image of us being low, stupid, lazy, and hated. 

One thing we have to be careful of is speaking in absolutes. When James said, "Racism will always be a part of the world," that tends to make one feel hopeless against injustice. What we CAN do is try everything possible to live our lives as good people who realize that all of us, regardless of race, are headed for the same death call when we will all be judged.

I was recently castigated by a white priest who said that I look at everything through a racial lens. It reminded me of the ministerial response to MLK's activism in Birmingham, Ala. which prompted him to write his famous letter from jail. (https://www.africa.upenn.edu/Articles_Gen/Letter_Birmingham.html) This priest seems to pay no attention to the fact that only three Blacks attend his church and that some whites in his church have REDNECK tattoos on their necks! There's a reason why Blacks don't attend HIS church! I must admit, though, that many religions hint at racism in the United States,  and possibly the most segregated places in America are churches and synagogues!

Now, we have LeBron saying, "Being Black in America is tough, and we have a long way to go for us as a society and us as African Americans, until we feel equal in America." My glasses are not rose colored, and I know the reality of race and power in America and the world. They need to release the video of them defacing LeBron's crib!

LeBron went on to say that he thought about Emmett Till first when his home was vandalized, and that the  most important thing to him is the safety of his family. That is the dread we live with everyday - that our loved ones will be harmed just because they are Black.

Neither WE nor LeBron can end racism; only the racist can end racism. Trump needs to tweet that! Those folks who vandalized LeBron's home (who were probably young and unemployed with nothing better to do) need to be caught and made to take a de-racism class! 

It appears hate crimes are increasing, and Attorney Gen. Sessions is too busy trying to save himself instead of prosecuting hate crimes. Political and religious leaders must ACT against injustice before it can ever be solved, or it will be resolved that they want racism to continue.

I was told by a lawyer last week that they don't take on cases where they know they can't make money... when ending racism becomes profitable, maybe we will get some movement towards justice.

Calvon Reid update: finally a little justice for taser victim's family

The case of Calvon Reid has been settled out of court. An alert was sent out by Killed by Police:

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/broward/fl-sb-calvon-reid-settlement-20170525-story.html

More info at: https://www.facebook.com/KilledByPolice/posts/997125990315538?comment_id=1639823069379157

IU alum leads DNI; FBI director reports to him

Daniel Coats

According to the U.S. Office of Director of National Intelligence website (https://www.dni.gov/index.php/who-we-are/leadership/director-of-national-intelligence), the current director is Daniel Coats. Coats attended the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law, where he received his Juris Doctor in 1972 and was associate editor of the Indiana Law Review.

Coats, who also served in both the U.S. House and Senate, was sworn in as the fifth Director of National Intelligence (DNI) on March 16, 2017. He leads the United States Intelligence Community (IC) and serves as the principal intelligence advisor to the President.

Wingcom Watchdog contacted Timothy Barrett, Chief of Media Relations, Public Affairs Office of the ODNI and was informed that President Trump did not consult with Director Coats before firing FBI Director Comey. Here is Coats' sworn testimony to the Senate Select Intelligence Committee on May 11 provided by Barrett:

KING: All right, thank you. Mr. Coats -- Director Coats, you're -- you're -- you lead the intelligence community. Were you consulted at all with regard to the firing of Director Comey?

COATS: I was not.

KING: So you had no -- there were no discussions with you even though the FBI's an important part of the intelligence community?

COATS: There were no discussions.

KING: Thank you. Mr. Chairman, thank you.

At press time, Barrett did not respond to additional email asking for Coats to speak to why we should have confidence in the intelligence community for this article.

Update:

“In the short time I've been on this job, I have learned that the I.C. is full of dedicated, talented, creative, patriotic men and women who are committed to keeping America safe, we must retain this posture while looking for ways to improve.” – DNI Dan Coats in testimony before Senate Select Committee on Intelligence