February 19, 2025 • 46 mins
This episode features insights from Milton's Chief of Police, Jason Griffin, and City Manager, Steve Krokoff (also a former Milton Police Chief), on several issues that impact the community on a daily basis. From distracted driving to a definition of Strategic Policing, this episode covers a lot of ground and provides a basic framework for how the Milton Police Department serves and protects the citizens of Milton.
We talk about:
• The dangers of distracted driving
• Technology's role in driving safety
• Home security tips
• The importance of community vigilance
• Identity theft prevention and resources
• The legal implications of sexting for teens
• Community engagement in police practices
• Community outreach events and opportunities
If you have any specific questions about upcoming events, reach out to Officer Rebecca Tidwell at rebeccatidwell@miltonga.gov or 678-242-2527.
With the community in mind, this podcast explores the stories, people, and initiatives that make our community unique. Each episode offers insights into local government, highlights Milton's history and future developments, and showcases the vibrant arts, culture, and sustainability efforts shaping our city. Join the conversation, celebrate our community, and discover how we're building a better Milton together.
Do you have an idea for an episode or would like to request a specific topic to be covered? Email Christy Weeks, christy.weeks@miltonga.gov
Learn more about the City of Milton at www.miltonga.gov.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
Welcome to Milton and Maine, the official podcast for
the city of Milton.
We want to bring you closer tothe heart of our community
through stories that inform,inspire and connect.
Each episode offers abehind-the-scenes look at the
people, projects and prioritiesshaping Milton, covering
everything from local governmentand future development to arts,
culture, sustainability andpublic safety.
(00:24):
Whether you're a resident, alocal business owner or just
curious about our city, this isyour front row seat to what
makes Milton special.
Today's episode is a mustlisten as we tackle issues that
impact every Milton resident,your safety and peace of mind.
Joining us is Jason Griffin,milton's chief of police, a
leader with deep ties to ourcommunity.
He's here to share his journeyfrom his roots in law
(00:47):
enforcement to his vision forkeeping Milton one of the safest
places to call home.
Also here today is none otherthan Milton City Manager, Steve
Krokoff, whose decades ofexperience in law enforcement,
including previously serving asMilton's Chief of Police, gives
him a unique perspective ontoday's conversation.
With so much to cover today,let's just get to it, steve,
(01:07):
welcome back.
I appreciate you taking thetime to explore the topic with
us.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
It's good to be back, christy, thank you.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
Chief Griffin, thank you for joining us today, and I
want to start with you with someinsight into your law
enforcement career.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
Hey, Christy, it's great to be here.
I have been in law enforcementgoing on 22 years.
I grew up in East Cobb, not farfrom Milton.
I spent most of my weekends inAlpharetta, Roswell, in the
Milton area.
I started my law enforcementcareer out at Newton County
Sheriff's Office in Covington,Georgia.
I was out there for about nineyears and my wife and I hit a
(01:44):
point to where our oldest childwas school age and it was a good
time for me to make a change indepartments and move back home
closer to my family and my roots, and I came on with Milton in
2011, and I've been here eversince.
Speaker 1 (02:01):
So you came on in 2011, and, steve, you rolled in
2015.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
I did.
Chief was were you a sergeantor lieutenant when?
Speaker 3 (02:09):
I came.
I was a sergeant at the time.
You promoted me to lieutenant.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
Nice, see Shortly thereafter your arrival.
Yeah, pat myself on the back.
Appreciate that, by the way.
Speaker 1 (02:20):
Yeah.
So I want to talk aboutsomething that affects all of us
the moment we get behind thewheel, and that's distracted
driving.
It is one of the leading causesof accidents nationwide and an
issue that we see here in Milton.
But what exactly makes it sopervasive?
Is it just phones?
Is it the morning makeuproutine you know at the stop
(02:41):
signs?
Or are there other factors atplay here?
Chief?
Speaker 3 (02:46):
So not only is it the leading cause of accidents
nationwide, it's our leadingcause of accidents here in
Milton.
It's phones is the biggestdistractor.
Cell phones by far are thebiggest distraction.
I mean we live in a fast-paceddigital world and everybody's
used to being constantlyconnected.
It's terrible.
It is.
It only takes a split second.
(03:07):
Typically most of our accidentshappen in areas where traffic
is stopped up a little bit andpeople think that they can look
down at their phone and stillkeep an eye on the cars in front
of them.
But many of our vehicle crashesare very minor in nature but
the rear end distracted drivingcauses.
I'd be willing to bet 80, 90%of them.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
Wow.
Well, I have three kids andI'll be at.
All of them are in theirtwenties now, but the level of
distracted driving that I havewitnessed is shocking, and it
doesn't matter what I tell them,I don't know anything.
I haven't had any experience,and I know it's a challenge for
other parents, but I also noticethat it's not just our young
(03:50):
drivers.
So, steve, what practical tipscan people take today to be more
mindful and reduce theirdistracted driving?
Speaker 2 (03:58):
Well, I think it's a lifestyle.
Now it's not just distracteddriving.
People walk around with cellphones in front of their face
instead of paying attention towhat they're doing.
I think driving quickly becomespart of the background instead
of the primary purpose of whatthey're doing.
People have to startrecognizing where they are and
be in the now right.
(04:19):
In a car, you have to have areally split second reaction
time when something occurs, andit's virtually impossible to do
that with a phone in front ofyou.
My suggestions are disciplinefor those that are of age that
can recognize the dangerassociated with it, and also to
lead by example If your kids arewatching you, whether they're
(04:40):
10 or 20, and they're watchingyou on your phone while you're
driving.
they're going to be doing thesame thing, so it's probably a
good opportunity to lead byexample.
Speaker 1 (04:52):
Not going to lie, it's hard.
That's where my music is.
It's on my phone.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
You're going to have to start talking to Siri and
make it happen automatically.
Speaker 1 (05:03):
No, I'm teasing, but here's the.
You mentioned people having aphone in front of their face all
the time walking through theairport yesterday.
The amount of people that hadno idea of the situation around
them, walking through theairport on their phone, not
looking where they're going,whether they're in the middle or
cutting somebody off, it'sterrible.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
I was at a restaurant the other day with my family.
I was ready to get up and gosit with another family.
They were all just sittingthere looking at their phones.
Speaker 1 (05:33):
We can do that?
Speaker 2 (05:36):
Probably not safely, but it's just become such a part
of our culture that it is, it'sjust pervasive.
Speaker 1 (05:42):
Yeah, so Chief technology is often a
double-edged sword.
Yeah, we love it.
We use it for a lot of reallygood purposes, but how have the
hands-free devices and drivingapps impacted the fight against
distracted driving?
Are they helping or are theyadding new layers of distraction
?
Speaker 3 (06:01):
I believe they're helping.
They help, but they're not acure for the issue.
Of course it's become secondnature for us to have immediate
communication with others andsometimes people forget that
handling their cell phones whiledriving is illegal in the state
.
The state passed a law yearsago to where you can't even be
holding your cell phone becausethe state recognized what an
(06:21):
issue it was as far as safetyand distraction.
Speaker 1 (06:24):
the state recognized what an issue.
Speaker 3 (06:25):
it was as far as safety and distraction, so these
in-car apps are awesome.
I just got my first vehiclethat has CarPlay in it.
CarPlay's fabulous it is.
It reads you text.
You can text right backverbally without touching
anything.
It's a game changer to thepoint where I actually had it
added to my 18-year-olddaughter's vehicle, as it wasn't
(06:45):
an original option when webought it.
So I wanted to ensure that shehad good habits and didn't have
the opportunity to try to answera text with her hands while
driving down the road.
So it's pretty scary stuff.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
I still have an 8-track in my truck.
Yeah, sorry for those listening.
Speaker 1 (07:02):
No, you do not.
Speaker 2 (07:03):
No, but it was fun to say it's just a regular thing
to say.
Speaker 1 (07:07):
I was going to ask to see because I haven't seen an
eight track in a lot of years,but I'm not going to age myself
in this situation.
So, with education being thekey to prevention in just about
every area, what is the best wayfor families to instill good
driving habits in youngerdrivers, and what roles do
schools and community programsplay in shaping those
(07:27):
responsible road behaviors?
And this is open to either oneof you.
Speaker 3 (07:31):
I'd like to echo what Steve said earlier about
leading by example.
I think that's huge.
Our kids are sponges.
They're going to do what we do.
They're going to do what theysee us do, whether we want to
acknowledge that or not.
Speaker 1 (07:42):
True facts.
Speaker 3 (07:43):
This is one of those topics where it's really
important.
It's no different than wearingyour seatbelt, in my opinion.
We do a lot of outreach withFulton County Schools.
We work with Fulton CountySchool Police and a lot of the
teachers that have programs forsafety and driving and we do a
lot of PSAs and stuff for ourprivate schools and public
schools in the realm ofdistracted driving.
(08:04):
We actually host a class atPolice Department called Alive
at 25, and it is highly focusedon not being distracted while
driving.
And how often is that classunder the age of 25 are mandated
(08:25):
through court to do it?
But we have it's probably about50-50.
As far as their participants,Some people just come and sign
up and take the class justbecause they want their teenager
to go through it and see thereal life disruption that
distracted driving can bringupon your family.
Speaker 1 (08:43):
Wow, I think that's important.
Now my question is just realquick.
You're driving down the roadand I would say 9 out of 10
people you see are looking down.
If an officer sees that, is heable to pull over for that
particular reason?
Speaker 3 (09:00):
Absolutely.
That is considered a probablecause, that is a violation of
our traffic code, and we doconduct directed patrols for
distracted driving in our highcrash corridors, where it's a
known problem.
So we do have targetedenforcement.
Ninety-five percent of ourtraffic enforcement is targeted,
(09:21):
based on stats, and we do haveoperations to where.
Speaker 1 (09:25):
That's all they're looking for is that common
across the state of georgia oris that relatively specific?
Speaker 2 (09:31):
it is common across the metro area for sure, chief
talk about the challenge inactually enforcing that as
opposed to speeding violations,right, right so it is literally
officer's word versus thedriver's word.
Speaker 3 (09:46):
I saw you holding your phone.
No, you didn't no it wasn't,but I wasn't texting, I was just
holding it.
Well, technically that isagainst the state code, which a
lot of people don't realize.
That's why these hands-freedevices are also so important,
but our officers don't alwayswrite that citation when they
stop somebody.
For that.
We focus on educating thedrivers.
(10:07):
What they were doing is illegal.
Some people still don't know,with all the advertising.
Speaker 1 (10:12):
How do you not know?
Speaker 3 (10:14):
I don't know.
It's hard to drive up and downour highways without reading the
billboards that say distracteddriving hands-free.
Speaker 1 (10:21):
The commercials, the stories, everything.
Speaker 3 (10:24):
It's everywhere, hands-free.
Put the phone down.
The commercials, everything.
It's everywhere.
But again, in a fast-pacedsociety, people forget.
Speaker 1 (10:30):
I can already hear my voice going up like eight
octaves.
What do you mean?
I was holding my phone, justkidding.
I'm a very good driver.
Speaker 3 (10:37):
Chief?
Yeah, I'm sure you are.
Speaker 1 (10:42):
We're going to go with that.
We're going to leave that onealone Now.
So let's turn our attention tohome security.
I think it's really importantthat we talk about something
that resonates with everyone,and this might not be the most
glamorous topic to talk about,but the solutions to it can be
surprisingly simple andaffordable.
So, chief, what are some easy,budget-friendly steps residents
(11:04):
can take right now to securetheir homes and make them less
appealing targets for burglars?
Speaker 3 (11:10):
So some of the easiest things are things as
simple as outdoor lighting,timed lighting inside your home
if you're going to be out oftown, or even if you just get
home late, depending on yourwork schedule to have they make
devices that your lamps can pluginto and you can put them on a
timer.
Got them Something that simple.
Just making it appear thatsomebody is home instead of your
(11:32):
house entirely blacked out whenit gets dark is a huge
deterrent.
Cameras on exterior of the homeA lot of people have doorbell
cams and that is all they have.
Obviously, in a perfect world Iwish every house had 360 degree
view cameras, but I know that'snot always possible.
But many of our residents herein Milton do and that has been a
(11:55):
huge force multiplier for us.
It's just extra eyes and earsthat never go to sleep, which,
of course, helps.
Another thing is alarm systems.
Almost every home has one, buta lot of residents don't use
them, don't arm them, and I'mguilty of this.
If I'm being 100% honest, Idon't set my alarm as much as I
(12:16):
should.
I've started to recentlybecause I keep preaching this to
the public and it's like allright.
Speaker 1 (12:22):
Right.
Speaker 3 (12:22):
I'm preaching it.
I got to do it.
Speaker 1 (12:25):
How unfortunate for that burglar who walks into the
chief of police home.
Yeah, oops.
Speaker 3 (12:29):
Yeah, oops, yeah, it'd be interesting.
Chose the wrong one andsomething else.
Not everybody's a dog lover,but dogs are a huge deterrent.
Speaker 2 (12:38):
That's it, chief.
If the opportunity arose, Icould tell you probably I could
count on one hand in 30 yearsthe amount of burglary reports I
took at a house with a dog.
Yep Right.
Speaker 1 (12:51):
The bigger the dog the better.
Oh, I I had, well, I had aneapolitan mastiff and he was
not a dog who barked a lot, buthe would step out from somewhere
and at all, 140 pounds of himand he was the runt.
It would change somebody's mindbefore they walked on my
property, and that happened ahandful of times during the day.
Speaker 3 (13:09):
Yeah, so, and speaking of during the day,
typically most burglaries occurduring daytime hours.
It is very rare that they occurat nighttime, and that is a
common misconception by thepublic.
Speaker 1 (13:22):
Why is that?
Speaker 3 (13:24):
What I believe it's because they know that people
are at work.
Kids are in school, parents areat work.
Kids are in school, parents areat work.
It's highly unlikely thatsomebody's going to be occupying
that residence during thedaytime hours.
Speaker 1 (13:36):
Okay, that's good to know they're not looking to find
somebody.
Speaker 2 (13:40):
When they get in there, they want to find a
vacant home, exactly.
Speaker 3 (13:43):
Typically, burglars aren't looking for confrontation
, they're looking for an easyget in, get out and get gone,
agreed yeah.
Speaker 1 (13:54):
So you've seen firsthand how Neighborhood Watch
programs and communityvigilance can make a big
difference.
Can you share any informationabout how those efforts have
helped us in Milton?
Speaker 3 (14:06):
What we learned is that people don't want to hear
the Neighborhood Watch speechesover and over and over again,
because it does come across.
It can come across ascondescending.
Even though some of thesepreventative tips are so simple.
They really do work.
Speaker 1 (14:22):
So a Neighborhood Watch program is just somebody
coming in and talking to theneighborhood.
You know you think about themovies and the first thing I
thought was you know theneighborhood watch people on the
street you know walking aroundwith their little fluorescent
green jackets.
Speaker 3 (14:35):
Yeah Well, that's not a thing.
No, not anymore, not here.
But community vigilance itselfis key.
If you see something, saysomething.
People are always hesitant tocall 911 when they shouldn't be.
That, quite literally, is thereason we are here is to call
911 when they shouldn't be.
That, quite literally, is thereason we are here is to check
out something suspicious.
(14:55):
You see something you see atyour neighbor's house that's a
little off all that so important.
And listen, the citizens areour eyes and ears.
They're the best weapon we haveto combat a lot of crime.
And if they don't call us andmake us aware, if they just get
a weird feeling they seesomething off, hey, that car
doesn't belong there.
I know they're out of town orwhatever the situation may be,
(15:20):
call us.
That's literally what we'rehere for and we appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (15:25):
Fair, fair, so let's talk about avoidable pitfalls.
What common mistakes do peoplemake that could unintentionally
invite trouble?
Fair, fair, so let's talk aboutavoidable pitfalls.
Speaker 3 (15:36):
What common mistakes do people make that could
unintentionally invite trouble?
So something as simple as ifyou're going on a trip.
I know it's so hard in thesocial media world we all live
in, but a lot of people postabout their trip.
Hey, we're going to be gone thenext two weeks and they'll put
it out on facebook, instagram,so excited I'm not saying that,
saying that people that you'refriends with that look at your
(15:57):
post are going to be the onescommitting the burglary.
But that is what's consideredopen source information and if
your page isn't locked down tojust your friend group, anybody
can see that.
Other things like if you knowyou're going to have packages
delivered while you're gone,have a neighbor grab the
packages off your porch everyday You're going to be gone for
(16:18):
an extended amount of time, stopyour mail delivery through the
postal service.
They do it for free.
It's very simple.
You can do it online.
Not many people get newspapersanymore, but we have had
instances.
Our local paper does getdelivered and I've driven around
some neighborhoods here andseen five, six, seven newspapers
(16:39):
at the end of the driveway.
That is a key signal thatsomebody's out of town.
Speaker 1 (16:43):
Somebody's gone.
Speaker 3 (16:44):
And other than that, just locking and securing your
doors and actually setting youralarm is huge, Chief.
Speaker 2 (16:51):
why don't you talk a little bit about the program
that we offer?
Speaker 3 (16:54):
So vacation patrols.
Anybody can go onto our websiteand sign up for a vacation
patrol.
If you're planning a trip outof town, you can tell us.
Hey, we're going to be gonefrom this date to this date and
we have a girl named Kayleetaking care of our cat Right.
That'll be there every day,usually in the afternoon,
(17:15):
evening time.
She drives this car thereshouldn't be any other cars in
the driveway and what ourofficers will actually do, and
our public safety ambassadors,as much as they can, depending
on call volume, they will go byyour house, get out of their
vehicle, walk around yourproperty, look for any kind of
signs of any nefarious activity,open door, open window.
(17:39):
Our officers have found opendoors, unlocked doors, a host of
things, and then we are able tosecure it after searching the
house, making sureeverything's's safe and sound,
contacting the homeowner,because we'll have the contact
information from the vacationpatrol application.
It's just a great program andpeople have really started
(18:00):
taking advantage of it well,that's really a great service.
Speaker 1 (18:05):
being out of town is something that can be super
stressful for homeowners,especially if it's long term and
somebody who's new to theneighborhood or new to the area
that doesn't have thatconnection with their neighbors.
Speaker 3 (18:17):
Oh, that's huge.
I get emails weekly.
Hey, I saw your officers walkaround my house on the cameras.
Thank you, thank you.
They didn't think we'd actuallydo it.
Speaker 1 (18:28):
You can sign up for it.
Speaker 3 (18:30):
I assure you they actually do it and they take it
serious.
Speaker 1 (18:34):
That's great, that's amazing.
So I want to kind of turn thisto a broader picture.
Strategic policing is vital inaddressing quality of life
issues that directly impact thecommunity.
So I want to start with justthe basics what exactly is
strategic policing and how doesit differ from the traditional
approaches?
Speaker 3 (18:54):
So traditionally and Steve can speak to this as well
we were always very responsiveor reactive.
It was more reactive policingthan proactive.
Strategic policing is makingsure we focus our resources in
the right areas.
We are very statisticallydriven at Milton PD and we
(19:14):
analyze these stats weekly,sometimes daily, to look for
trends, and then we sit down andwe strategize.
We literally strategize aboutworking to mitigate them in the
most efficient manner, whetherit's targeted traffic
enforcement in high crash areasor even from receiving multiple
(19:35):
complaints in a certain areawhere we need to deploy more
resources.
It's knowledge that we wouldn'tknow unless we sat down and
looked at everything that wedeal with and come up with a
strategy that best matchestackling that issue.
Speaker 1 (19:50):
And those strategies are very specific to the Milton
area because you're looking atthat particular set of data.
Speaker 3 (19:57):
Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (19:58):
Right on.
So, Steve, with your years ofexperience, how have you seen
strategic policing evolve tostrike that delicate balance
between enforcement and servingthe unique needs of a community?
Speaker 2 (20:15):
By making your work data-driven, like the chief said
, you're putting your resourceswhere you need them and you're
not putting them where you don'tneed them.
And there's a whole variety oftools you can use to be able to
whether you work in crimeprevention or you're doing work
and related to some type ofpatternized crime, the data
really puts you in a position towork with your community for
them to understand what you'redoing and why you're doing it.
(20:38):
A lot of times people will saywell, why are you watching this
stop sign?
Or why are you doing speedcontrol on this road?
Well, it might be because wehave issues related to running a
stop sign or speed, but itcould also be related to a
series of burglaries orlarcenies or things like that,
and we're using that opportunityto be able to get out there,
(20:58):
see who's traveling around, seewho belongs, who doesn't belong.
A lot of times, the officersapproach people.
If someone gets caught thatpotentially lives in the
neighborhood, instead of gettinga ticket, they're getting hey,
have you seen anything out ofthe ordinary?
These things work extremelywell and I came up in an era
before really data-drivenpolicing was a thing, and it
took a little while for lawenforcement to really embrace
(21:20):
what it had to offer and reallyit's just taken off.
Speaker 1 (21:24):
What's that time frame?
I mean, what are we looking at?
Speaker 2 (21:30):
It would go back to the Bratton years in New York
City with Comstat, probably backin the 90s actually early 90s
when they started really workingtowards the broken windows
theory of policing, and it had atremendous effect on New York
City at the time and it wasreplicated throughout the
country.
Not everything about Comstatwas fantastic, but the
data-driven techniques has notbeen lost.
Speaker 1 (21:50):
Yeah, that's an incident where technology has
really contributed positively toplanning and strategizing
toward keeping your communitysafer.
Speaker 2 (21:59):
I couldn't agree more , yep.
Speaker 1 (22:01):
Right on.
So I'm also curious, chief, ifyou can share an example of a
particularly innovative orcreative approach Milton's Law
Enforcement has used to tackle apersistent issue.
Speaker 3 (22:12):
Well, like I said earlier, we do this daily.
It's hard to drill down to onespecific incident, but the key
is for us to collaborate withour brothers and sisters around
the table and come up with astrategy.
Think outside the box if wehave to.
(22:33):
Not everything we deal with isa violation of law.
It may be a quality of lifeissue that we know is impacting
the community and that mattersto us.
So I think taking the time tothink outside the box to use
that phrase again has reallybenefited us to where we don't
get siloed in the lawenforcement realm of enforcement
(22:54):
.
There might be something elsewe can do through environmental
design, education, communicationto that specific area or
community.
We've just seen a ton ofsuccess with that and it's going
to continue.
Speaker 2 (23:09):
Chief, you know you all did something, without
getting into too much detail,where we had patternized
shoplifting.
I was very impressed by whatyou all were able to identify as
the pattern and even get aheadof potentially the next
shoplifting.
Speaker 3 (23:24):
That was something pretty creative, it was creative
and, like I said, that alloccurred by us sitting around a
table and coming up with astrategy.
We were able to figure out thatthis particular group would
come to this business to committhese larcenies on a specific
day of the week, and we wereable to deploy technology and
(23:44):
undercover officers to watch theparking lot.
And it wasn't long before wewere successful in Navidim.
Speaker 1 (23:52):
Wow, that's amazing Fun fact.
I don't know if you knew this.
I wanted to be a lawenforcement agent a long time
ago.
I did.
Speaker 3 (24:01):
It's never too late.
Speaker 2 (24:02):
You defeat me.
You still can be.
We have some positions open.
Speaker 1 (24:06):
I am a little past my prime on that.
The fitness test worries me alittle bit.
Speaker 2 (24:11):
There's no such thing as past your prime.
Speaker 1 (24:14):
Says the one not coming up on their birthday here
in the next few days.
So finally, let's talk aboutsome priorities.
With so many concerns competingfor attention, because you guys
deal with a wide range ofissues on the daily, every hour
how does your team decide whatto tackle first?
And, just as importantly, howcan residents effectively share
(24:36):
their concerns to help shapethose priorities?
Speaker 3 (24:39):
So to tackle the communication part of this,
first, the city has a C-ClickFix app that they can download,
specific to the city of Milton,where they can report anything
from public works issues tospeeding complaints, to
suspicious activity, and the appsends an email directly to the
department division at thepolice department, whether it be
(25:02):
the traffic unit or uniformpatrol or criminal
investigations, and we reach outand we get more details if need
be and all that gets consideredwhen we're sitting down talking
about strategy.
(25:23):
Like I said earlier, we're sostatistically driven and we are
complaint driven for quality oflife issues, speeding issues,
things of that nature.
If you see our officers outthere running a lot of traffic
or speed enforcement in acertain area, it's because
somebody complained about speedin that area.
(25:44):
Now we vet these complaints inthat area.
Now we vet these complaints Alot of times.
You know we'll get a randomcomplaint on a side road and we
have technology that we can putout there for a week or so and
it observes speeds, gives usaverages, gives us the amount of
enforceable vehicles and thetime frames If there's a
(26:05):
specific time frame.
Again, this goes back intobeing very strategic.
So we know we don't have to sitour traffic unit out there for
14 hours a day.
We know it's worse between 4 pmand 6.30 pm and we have that
smaller window, targeted, moreeffective enforcement to go on.
Speaker 1 (26:25):
Another growing concern that affects many people
is today's digital world andthe threat of identity fraud,
and we see it all the time.
We see the ads, we see all theplans that people are selling to
try and protect it chief.
With identity theft on the rise, what are some key red flags
people should be aware of toavoid falling victim?
Speaker 3 (26:47):
There are spoofed emails that look like they're
coming from your bank.
They're commonly called as likephishing emails.
I know we at the city are veryconcerned about phishing emails
for good reason.
They make them look so real.
Yes, they will steal images,it'll come from an address that
(27:07):
is similar, but things to lookfor is maybe some misspelling,
some bad grammar.
What I always do and I'vegotten several of these phishing
emails in recent years is Iwill call my banking institution
directly and ask them if itcame from them, and almost every
single time I've called them itdidn't come from them.
(27:27):
Yeah, that's a huge red flag.
And to kind of take this alittle farther towards the scam
side of things, phone calls yes,we will never call you to take
care of a warrant over the phonewith Apple cards.
Speaker 1 (27:43):
Kroger gift cards or.
Speaker 3 (27:46):
Kroger gift cards or green dot cards to pay a fine.
Speaker 2 (27:51):
We laugh about that because it sounds so ridiculous
and then you wonder why are somany people victimized?
But the reality is, when youget that call, they scare you,
Panic, and what they do is theytry to get you to react in a way
that you wouldn't normallyreact.
And every time someone isvictimized they look back and
they say oh my gosh, I can'tbelieve I did this.
(28:15):
The reality is is fear is astrong emotion and a motivating
factor to do things you mightnot normally do.
Speaker 1 (28:23):
And it seems that the older population is the target
for that.
Because I consistently havethis conversation with my mother
, because she will click onanything that is sent to her.
She will, hey, your phone needscleaned up.
So she clicks on it, absolutely.
And then her phone, her AppleID has been hijacked and
everything else has beenhijacked on and she doesn't
(28:44):
understand.
Speaker 3 (28:44):
She didn't grow up with the technology,
Unfortunately it's quite commonthat the elderly are highly
victimized by these type scams.
To the point to where weactually reached out to our
local big box stores that sellgift cards and educated the
cashiers, the front end storemanagers, about what to look for
(29:05):
.
We put up signs in the giftcard areas explaining people, if
don't buy gift cards, to payfines over the phone, just
trying to build this extraawareness.
Cashiers have actually stoppedpeople from buying thousands of
dollars worth of iTunes cards,or whatever the card may be, and
(29:25):
had the manager call the policedepartment out there and we
speak with the people.
Could they be buying them forall their grandchildren or
great-grandchildren?
Of course, and there's been afew instances to what.
That's exactly what they weredoing, but we have stopped a lot
of people from being victimizedwith just educating our
partners at the stores.
Speaker 1 (29:46):
Right, so you're talking about education, which
kind of leads me to my questionwith Steve is additional steps
that people can take to protecttheir personal details and
ensure that they're not leavingthemselves vulnerable?
Speaker 2 (29:58):
The fact is, no matter how vigilant we are as
individuals, our information isout there and the repositories
they're in have been breached bybad guys already.
So our dates of birth, socialsecurity numbers, all those
things are already out there onthe dark web.
So what's what's critical isthat we the to access our
(30:20):
important websites, like ourbanks and things like that, you
have to change those passwordsconstantly and don't change them
from one dog to the other.
Your passwords need to make nosense to anybody.
Keep it somewhere where, ifyou're trusting enough to keep
it in an app, which is what I doI change my passwords probably
once a month, and they meannothing.
Speaker 1 (30:42):
All of them.
Speaker 2 (30:42):
All of them and I use a company that it automatically
changes them.
And then I change them with mybanks and everything like that.
And it is a great protectivemeasure because, like I said,
your information is out there.
If you're able to get into thedark web a quick search, you're
going to find anything all ofour personal information out
(31:03):
there.
You've got to protect it at thepoint of where the bad guys are
going to try to access yourmoney.
Speaker 1 (31:10):
Right so chief.
If someone does fall victim toidentity theft, what resources
or tools are available tosupport them through that
recovery process?
Speaker 3 (31:19):
So, unfortunately, financial institutions have
become so used to theseoccurring.
They've gotten much quickerreversing the fraud once it's
reported to them.
A lot of the most of the timethey'll require some type of
police report.
So citizens will have to call9-1-1 and have an officer come
out to the house, or they cancome meet us at the police
(31:40):
department what have you andwe'll get the basic information.
Typically they're reversedwithin 24 hours.
We do a lot of social mediablasts about identity theft.
Like Steve said, it's reallyhard to come back because your
information's out there.
It's more about education, sothe more we can educate the
public.
Hey, this is what we're seeing.
(32:00):
But, to be totally honest, thetrends haven't changed in the
last seven, eight years.
I mean, it's just over and overand over again people just
getting victimized or theiraccounts seized by some
perpetrator, and a lot of thesecases originate outside the
United States, which makes itincredibly difficult for us.
(32:20):
It's like hitting a brick wallfor us.
It's frustrating.
Speaker 1 (32:25):
The lack of change in that seven years?
Is that more related to peoplenot paying attention to the
campaigns that are being pushedand the information that's
available, or boiling down tofear?
And how do we address that?
It's incredibly difficult.
Speaker 3 (32:44):
I think a lot of it is boiled down to financial
institutions being so muchbetter at cleaning it up.
It actually let people puttheir cards down, which is the
wrong thing to do, because it'sso much easier cleaned up after
the fact now because they'vegotten so used to it.
Speaker 2 (33:00):
I'm going to agree with the chief.
In fact, I was thinking thesame thing.
It's so easy.
If I was victimized and someonecharges a few thousand dollars
on my credit card, all I do ismake a call and it's gone.
And it didn't used to be thatway.
No, it wasn't, and it's verylikely.
I don't have to call the policeanything, it just goes away.
And the thing is, the bad guysalso win because they're not
(33:21):
going after them either.
They're writing this offgenerally and the bad guys get
their proceeds.
Me as a victim.
I made whole and it's just onto the next one, and that is
Chief.
I agree with you.
That is part of the problem.
Speaker 1 (33:35):
So what about the role of AI in all this?
Because we've all heard thestories in the last handful of
years about people using AI toduplicate a voice, and now
that's terrifying.
Speaker 3 (33:49):
We've taken reports of that here.
Speaker 1 (33:50):
So how do you discern whether that's real or not?
Because you want to talk aboutfear.
Is you call me or somebody Iknow and tell them that their
loved one is in danger?
And you've got their voice?
You?
Speaker 2 (34:04):
just unlocked a new fear for me.
Speaker 3 (34:05):
So that's crazy, my best advice would be to call us
out to your house, give theofficer the information of where
they called from.
So it is not hard for people tospoof a phone number.
It may look like it's comingfrom the Milton Police
Department.
It may look like it's comingfrom FBI Atlanta.
They can make it say whateverthey want and appear as whatever
(34:27):
number they want it to appear,as Technology is awesome and
technology is a pain sometimes.
My advice would be to call usout there if there's anything
questionable, or hang up andcall that family member.
Call another member of yourfamily that knows exactly where
that person is.
It's great advice.
Wait a second they're not outof the country, they're not in
(34:49):
jail in Mexico.
I just ate breakfast with them.
Inquire, yeah, you know, justtake it a step further, because
that's scary.
Speaker 1 (34:56):
That's the one thing that I worry about, that I would
not be able to make thatdecision.
Speaker 2 (35:01):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (35:01):
Besides to maybe ask so-and-so, to call so-and-so
while I still have this persononline.
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (35:08):
It's always good to get the police involved.
They're objective detached.
Speaker 1 (35:12):
Right.
Speaker 2 (35:12):
They're not working off of fear.
Speaker 1 (35:20):
Now we're still kind of in that realm of the digital
world.
I do want to touch real brieflyon teen sexting, because I know
we're seeing a lot of that andit is a super sensitive topic
and it's becoming increasinglyprevalent in today's digital age
, and it's an issue that is notonly complex but it can also
have serious legal, emotionaland social consequences,
especially for minors involved,and it's a conversation that
(35:43):
really needs to be handled withcare with parents and law
enforcement, and law enforcementhas a critical role in all this
.
So, with all that being said,chief, what are some of the
legal implications for minorsinvolved in sexting and why is
it such a serious issue?
Speaker 3 (35:59):
So what minors don't realize is that transmitting a
picture of a minor exposing anypart of their self, private
parts of their self, is a felony.
It is literally transmittingchild porn is what it's
considered under Georgia statelaw.
Even though they do itthemselves, they could be
(36:22):
opening themselves up tocriminal charges.
Obviously, our goal when we getthese cases is to minimize the
emotional damage and everythingelse that comes from it.
And it's happening.
It's happening here, it'shappening in middle school.
Speaker 1 (36:36):
And how do you tell your kids we do, we repeat to
them all the time don't do that.
And it seems like such a commonsense issue.
Speaker 3 (36:46):
It's probably different for every family.
You know I've had thosediscussions with my kids.
I tell them stories of stuff wedeal with at work, hoping that
it will educate them enough tonot do it.
It's incredibly alarming andthe best thing to tell your
children is once that stuff'sout there.
It's out there and it's goingto get shared and it's going to
(37:06):
get blasted all over the placeand it can get out of hand real
quick.
Speaker 1 (37:11):
Real quick.
So, steve, for parents andcaregivers, how can we open the
conversation about the risk ofsexting with our teens without
creating an environment of shameor fear?
Speaker 2 (37:22):
That's a tough one.
I think the first thing asparents we need to understand
that this is not just a coupleof children doing this.
This is incredibly prevalentyes and you're much more likely
to find that the child in theirmid-teens who haven't
participated in that in theminority, it has become a very
(37:45):
regular thing and the reality isis they're the chief said.
These children share thesethings and they become such a
point of shame.
I mean, there have beenchildren that have done horrific
things to themselves.
You know the news is litteredwith it over these types of
situations.
So you know how do parentsapproach that with the kids.
(38:06):
It's almost like having to havethat initial discussion with
your children about sex in thefirst place, but you've got to
find a way to have that open andhonest conversation and if
you're not the right person,perhaps a family member who is
in their 20s or something alongthose lines might be the right
person to have thoseconversations.
But at the end of the day,someone's got to have those
(38:28):
conversations, Otherwise it justcontinues on.
Speaker 1 (38:32):
Yeah, what age do you suppose would be the best to
start talking about this,because I know kids are starting
to get cell phones and accessto computers earlier and earlier
.
Speaker 2 (38:44):
I think parents really have to start identifying
their children's behavior.
Some kids mature faster thanothers.
You could have a 10-year-oldplaying with dolls and a
10-year-old not playing withdolls.
So I would recommend that asparents start to see their
children mature more and maybeshow some interest in the
opposite sex, they start toreally consider how to approach
(39:05):
that.
Speaker 1 (39:06):
Right, and are there ways to monitor that through
their cell phones?
Speaker 3 (39:11):
Yes, absolutely there's apps and there's several
companies out there.
Not to plug any specificcompany, the only one I know of
that I used was Bark B-A-R-K,which is a monitoring app, and
some phones are more easilymonitored than others.
Apple products they pridethemselves on their security.
Speaker 1 (39:31):
They're not so easy, they're not so easy.
Speaker 3 (39:33):
They only get downloaded into the Bark app, I
think every 12 hours or every 24hours, as Android is real-time.
So a parent might get a textfrom Bark saying hey, there's,
an inappropriate image was justsent or just taken or received
on your child's device.
So there's all kinds of optionsout there.
(39:55):
I would have people do theirown research, see what works
best for them and their familyand the products that they have
with phones.
Speaker 1 (40:03):
Are there programs or educational seminars, workshops
that we do here in Milton tohelp our teens?
Speaker 3 (40:13):
So we do partner with again with Fulton County
Schools and assist them.
We have put on several cellphone safety courses, usually
for high school students istypically what they've pulled us
into use.
But anytime that there isconcern by one of our school
administrators or one of ourprivate school headmasters, they
(40:36):
know that they can reach out tous and we will come and put on
a full presentation for as manykids as possible.
It is a huge problem and it'snot just here in Milton, it is
nationwide.
Speaker 1 (40:48):
Yeah, yeah, it's unfortunate.
So in the past, we've talked alot about community engagement.
It seems to be a very commonterm and a very important term,
and it's becoming increasingly acornerstone of modern law
enforcement for many reasons,and I would love to hear both of
your perspectives on this.
So can you tell me whycommunity engagement is so
(41:13):
crucial in today's policing andhow does it benefit the
residents and the officers?
Speaker 3 (41:19):
Community engagement, in my opinion, is one of our
most vital roles at Milton PD.
We want the community membersto feel comfortable reaching out
to us for anything.
That starts with being familiarwith the community we serve and
the community seeing familiarfaces in the officers.
And the more face time we canget with our community members
the better.
I think that immediately leadsto building trust and legitimacy
(41:41):
for our officers in ourdepartment and law enforcement
profession really, but it'svital.
Speaker 1 (41:51):
Yeah.
So, steve, you and I chattedbefore about your previous role
in Albany, and so I feel likeyou can really speak to this
firsthand about the impact ofstrong partnerships in the
community.
So can you share one of yoursuccess stories with that
collaboration?
Speaker 2 (42:06):
I have a tremendous number of success stories with
that back in my previous world,but here in Milton the chief
clearly understands theimportance of having that
partnership.
But I have to say that thereare other facets of government
that have known the importanceof that partnership well before
law enforcement recognized thepower of it.
(42:27):
And to give an example, sinceI've become city manager and
understanding how our communitydevelopment department works in
collaboration with our community, in every planning aspect of
what we do, whether it'schanging codes or design styles
or things like that, it is aconstant collaboration with
community members and boards andcommissions and that is a great
(42:47):
model to follow for lawenforcement, because you get to
hear what people are feeling,what they're thinking, getting
their input.
We have a very educated publichere in the city of Milton and
their input is incrediblyvaluable.
So that's something that I'veseen as a tremendous success
here in Milton and I wish I hadknown the value of that perhaps
you know back in the 1990s.
Speaker 1 (43:10):
Back in the 1990s.
We're going there again, huh.
Speaker 2 (43:14):
When I still had a pager and I didn't have to worry
about any of this.
Speaker 1 (43:18):
So for residents that are looking to get more
involved and we've kind oftouched on a lot of them already
what are some upcomingopportunities where they can
connect with our law enforcementmake a positive impact?
Speaker 3 (43:28):
So we have our Citizens Police Academy coming
up in February.
It's a six-week program.
It's one night a week and everynight there will be a different
topic, whether it's criminalinvestigations, SWAT team,
traffic enforcement we break itup and make it really
interesting.
They get to see what we do.
We have RAD classes coming upin June.
Enforcement we break it up andmake it really interesting.
They get to see what we do.
We have rad classes coming upin june.
(43:51):
rad is a women's self-defenseclass, so I want to take that
rad actually stands for rapeaggression defense and we have
several certified instructorsand participants and role
players.
It is very hands-on.
It is is low impact, you know,depending on everyone's
abilities.
But I'd watch our Facebook andInstagram pages as there's
(44:13):
always opportunities to pop up.
We have a shredding event,speaking of identity theft, we
have a big shredding event we doevery year that's coming up in
April, I believe, and of course,we have Police Week in May,
where we do a whole host ofevents and we'll be pushing all
that out on our social mediasites.
But if you have any specificquestions about upcoming events,
(44:35):
I would urge people to reachout to our community outreach
officer Officer Rebecca Tidwell.
Her email is rebeccatidwell.
That's r-e-b-e-c-c-atidwellt-i-d-w-e-C-A dot Tidwell
T-I-D-W-E-L-L at MiltonGAgov, oryou can reach her at her desk
at 678-242-2527.
Speaker 1 (44:57):
Perfect.
Speaker 3 (44:57):
With any questions about upcoming events.
She's the one that puts themall together.
Speaker 1 (45:02):
Perfect, and I will put that information in the show
notes so it'll be really easyto access for those that are
interested.
And I feel like we've had avery full conversation about a
lot of things that are prominentin today's society, especially
in our community, and I have tosay I'm so grateful to both of
you for joining us today andsharing your valuable insights.
(45:23):
Your expertise and yourcommitment to keeping Milton
safe are truly inspiring, andwe're grateful for the practical
advice and proactive approachesyou both have shared with the
listeners.
So it's clear that creating asafer, more connected community
is the heart of what you do, andwe're lucky to have leaders
like you serving our city, so Ireally appreciate you both being
(45:45):
here.
Speaker 2 (45:45):
I appreciate that.
Thank you, Kristen.
Speaker 1 (45:47):
Absolutely.
Thanks for listening to Miltonin Maine.
We hope this episode gave youfresh insights into what makes
our city so special.
Stay connected and don't missan episode by subscribing to
this podcast on your favoriteplatform and following us on
social media for all updates,all updates and, of course, if
(46:12):
you want to learn more about thecity, visit us online at
wwwmiltongagov for resources,news and upcoming events.
Until next time, thanks forbeing part of the conversation
and we'll see you on the nextMilton and Maine.
Welcome to Milton and Maine, the official podcast for
the city of Milton.
We want to bring you closer tothe heart of our community
through stories that inform,inspire and connect.
Each episode offers abehind-the-scenes look at the
people, projects and prioritiesshaping Milton, covering
everything from local governmentand future development to arts,
culture, sustainability andpublic safety.
(00:24):
Whether you're a resident, alocal business owner or just
curious about our city, this isyour front row seat to what
makes Milton special.
Today's episode is a mustlisten as we tackle issues that
impact every Milton resident,your safety and peace of mind.
Joining us is Jason Griffin,milton's chief of police, a
leader with deep ties to ourcommunity.
He's here to share his journeyfrom his roots in law
(00:47):
enforcement to his vision forkeeping Milton one of the safest
places to call home.
Also here today is none otherthan Milton City Manager, Steve
Krokoff, whose decades ofexperience in law enforcement,
including previously serving asMilton's Chief of Police, gives
him a unique perspective ontoday's conversation.
With so much to cover today,let's just get to it, steve,
(01:07):
welcome back.
I appreciate you taking thetime to explore the topic with
us.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
It's good to be back, christy, thank you.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
Chief Griffin, thank you for joining us today, and I
want to start with you with someinsight into your law
enforcement career.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
Hey, Christy, it's great to be here.
I have been in law enforcementgoing on 22 years.
I grew up in East Cobb, not farfrom Milton.
I spent most of my weekends inAlpharetta, Roswell, in the
Milton area.
I started my law enforcementcareer out at Newton County
Sheriff's Office in Covington,Georgia.
I was out there for about nineyears and my wife and I hit a
(01:44):
point to where our oldest childwas school age and it was a good
time for me to make a change indepartments and move back home
closer to my family and my roots, and I came on with Milton in
2011, and I've been here eversince.
Speaker 1 (02:01):
So you came on in 2011, and, steve, you rolled in
2015.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
I did.
Chief was were you a sergeantor lieutenant when?
Speaker 3 (02:09):
I came.
I was a sergeant at the time.
You promoted me to lieutenant.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
Nice, see Shortly thereafter your arrival.
Yeah, pat myself on the back.
Appreciate that, by the way.
Speaker 1 (02:20):
Yeah.
So I want to talk aboutsomething that affects all of us
the moment we get behind thewheel, and that's distracted
driving.
It is one of the leading causesof accidents nationwide and an
issue that we see here in Milton.
But what exactly makes it sopervasive?
Is it just phones?
Is it the morning makeuproutine you know at the stop
(02:41):
signs?
Or are there other factors atplay here?
Chief?
Speaker 3 (02:46):
So not only is it the leading cause of accidents
nationwide, it's our leadingcause of accidents here in
Milton.
It's phones is the biggestdistractor.
Cell phones by far are thebiggest distraction.
I mean we live in a fast-paceddigital world and everybody's
used to being constantlyconnected.
It's terrible.
It is.
It only takes a split second.
(03:07):
Typically most of our accidentshappen in areas where traffic
is stopped up a little bit andpeople think that they can look
down at their phone and stillkeep an eye on the cars in front
of them.
But many of our vehicle crashesare very minor in nature but
the rear end distracted drivingcauses.
I'd be willing to bet 80, 90%of them.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
Wow.
Well, I have three kids andI'll be at.
All of them are in theirtwenties now, but the level of
distracted driving that I havewitnessed is shocking, and it
doesn't matter what I tell them,I don't know anything.
I haven't had any experience,and I know it's a challenge for
other parents, but I also noticethat it's not just our young
(03:50):
drivers.
So, steve, what practical tipscan people take today to be more
mindful and reduce theirdistracted driving?
Speaker 2 (03:58):
Well, I think it's a lifestyle.
Now it's not just distracteddriving.
People walk around with cellphones in front of their face
instead of paying attention towhat they're doing.
I think driving quickly becomespart of the background instead
of the primary purpose of whatthey're doing.
People have to startrecognizing where they are and
be in the now right.
(04:19):
In a car, you have to have areally split second reaction
time when something occurs, andit's virtually impossible to do
that with a phone in front ofyou.
My suggestions are disciplinefor those that are of age that
can recognize the dangerassociated with it, and also to
lead by example If your kids arewatching you, whether they're
(04:40):
10 or 20, and they're watchingyou on your phone while you're
driving.
they're going to be doing thesame thing, so it's probably a
good opportunity to lead byexample.
Speaker 1 (04:52):
Not going to lie, it's hard.
That's where my music is.
It's on my phone.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
You're going to have to start talking to Siri and
make it happen automatically.
Speaker 1 (05:03):
No, I'm teasing, but here's the.
You mentioned people having aphone in front of their face all
the time walking through theairport yesterday.
The amount of people that hadno idea of the situation around
them, walking through theairport on their phone, not
looking where they're going,whether they're in the middle or
cutting somebody off, it'sterrible.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
I was at a restaurant the other day with my family.
I was ready to get up and gosit with another family.
They were all just sittingthere looking at their phones.
Speaker 1 (05:33):
We can do that?
Speaker 2 (05:36):
Probably not safely, but it's just become such a part
of our culture that it is, it'sjust pervasive.
Speaker 1 (05:42):
Yeah, so Chief technology is often a
double-edged sword.
Yeah, we love it.
We use it for a lot of reallygood purposes, but how have the
hands-free devices and drivingapps impacted the fight against
distracted driving?
Are they helping or are theyadding new layers of distraction
?
Speaker 3 (06:01):
I believe they're helping.
They help, but they're not acure for the issue.
Of course it's become secondnature for us to have immediate
communication with others andsometimes people forget that
handling their cell phones whiledriving is illegal in the state
.
The state passed a law yearsago to where you can't even be
holding your cell phone becausethe state recognized what an
(06:21):
issue it was as far as safetyand distraction.
Speaker 1 (06:24):
the state recognized what an issue.
Speaker 3 (06:25):
it was as far as safety and distraction, so these
in-car apps are awesome.
I just got my first vehiclethat has CarPlay in it.
CarPlay's fabulous it is.
It reads you text.
You can text right backverbally without touching
anything.
It's a game changer to thepoint where I actually had it
added to my 18-year-olddaughter's vehicle, as it wasn't
(06:45):
an original option when webought it.
So I wanted to ensure that shehad good habits and didn't have
the opportunity to try to answera text with her hands while
driving down the road.
So it's pretty scary stuff.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
I still have an 8-track in my truck.
Yeah, sorry for those listening.
Speaker 1 (07:02):
No, you do not.
Speaker 2 (07:03):
No, but it was fun to say it's just a regular thing
to say.
Speaker 1 (07:07):
I was going to ask to see because I haven't seen an
eight track in a lot of years,but I'm not going to age myself
in this situation.
So, with education being thekey to prevention in just about
every area, what is the best wayfor families to instill good
driving habits in youngerdrivers, and what roles do
schools and community programsplay in shaping those
(07:27):
responsible road behaviors?
And this is open to either oneof you.
Speaker 3 (07:31):
I'd like to echo what Steve said earlier about
leading by example.
I think that's huge.
Our kids are sponges.
They're going to do what we do.
They're going to do what theysee us do, whether we want to
acknowledge that or not.
Speaker 1 (07:42):
True facts.
Speaker 3 (07:43):
This is one of those topics where it's really
important.
It's no different than wearingyour seatbelt, in my opinion.
We do a lot of outreach withFulton County Schools.
We work with Fulton CountySchool Police and a lot of the
teachers that have programs forsafety and driving and we do a
lot of PSAs and stuff for ourprivate schools and public
schools in the realm ofdistracted driving.
(08:04):
We actually host a class atPolice Department called Alive
at 25, and it is highly focusedon not being distracted while
driving.
And how often is that classunder the age of 25 are mandated
(08:25):
through court to do it?
But we have it's probably about50-50.
As far as their participants,Some people just come and sign
up and take the class justbecause they want their teenager
to go through it and see thereal life disruption that
distracted driving can bringupon your family.
Speaker 1 (08:43):
Wow, I think that's important.
Now my question is just realquick.
You're driving down the roadand I would say 9 out of 10
people you see are looking down.
If an officer sees that, is heable to pull over for that
particular reason?
Speaker 3 (09:00):
Absolutely.
That is considered a probablecause, that is a violation of
our traffic code, and we doconduct directed patrols for
distracted driving in our highcrash corridors, where it's a
known problem.
So we do have targetedenforcement.
Ninety-five percent of ourtraffic enforcement is targeted,
(09:21):
based on stats, and we do haveoperations to where.
Speaker 1 (09:25):
That's all they're looking for is that common
across the state of georgia oris that relatively specific?
Speaker 2 (09:31):
it is common across the metro area for sure, chief
talk about the challenge inactually enforcing that as
opposed to speeding violations,right, right so it is literally
officer's word versus thedriver's word.
Speaker 3 (09:46):
I saw you holding your phone.
No, you didn't no it wasn't,but I wasn't texting, I was just
holding it.
Well, technically that isagainst the state code, which a
lot of people don't realize.
That's why these hands-freedevices are also so important,
but our officers don't alwayswrite that citation when they
stop somebody.
For that.
We focus on educating thedrivers.
(10:07):
What they were doing is illegal.
Some people still don't know,with all the advertising.
Speaker 1 (10:12):
How do you not know?
Speaker 3 (10:14):
I don't know.
It's hard to drive up and downour highways without reading the
billboards that say distracteddriving hands-free.
Speaker 1 (10:21):
The commercials, the stories, everything.
Speaker 3 (10:24):
It's everywhere, hands-free.
Put the phone down.
The commercials, everything.
It's everywhere.
But again, in a fast-pacedsociety, people forget.
Speaker 1 (10:30):
I can already hear my voice going up like eight
octaves.
What do you mean?
I was holding my phone, justkidding.
I'm a very good driver.
Speaker 3 (10:37):
Chief?
Yeah, I'm sure you are.
Speaker 1 (10:42):
We're going to go with that.
We're going to leave that onealone Now.
So let's turn our attention tohome security.
I think it's really importantthat we talk about something
that resonates with everyone,and this might not be the most
glamorous topic to talk about,but the solutions to it can be
surprisingly simple andaffordable.
So, chief, what are some easy,budget-friendly steps residents
(11:04):
can take right now to securetheir homes and make them less
appealing targets for burglars?
Speaker 3 (11:10):
So some of the easiest things are things as
simple as outdoor lighting,timed lighting inside your home
if you're going to be out oftown, or even if you just get
home late, depending on yourwork schedule to have they make
devices that your lamps can pluginto and you can put them on a
timer.
Got them Something that simple.
Just making it appear thatsomebody is home instead of your
(11:32):
house entirely blacked out whenit gets dark is a huge
deterrent.
Cameras on exterior of the homeA lot of people have doorbell
cams and that is all they have.
Obviously, in a perfect world Iwish every house had 360 degree
view cameras, but I know that'snot always possible.
But many of our residents herein Milton do and that has been a
(11:55):
huge force multiplier for us.
It's just extra eyes and earsthat never go to sleep, which,
of course, helps.
Another thing is alarm systems.
Almost every home has one, buta lot of residents don't use
them, don't arm them, and I'mguilty of this.
If I'm being 100% honest, Idon't set my alarm as much as I
(12:16):
should.
I've started to recentlybecause I keep preaching this to
the public and it's like allright.
Speaker 1 (12:22):
Right.
Speaker 3 (12:22):
I'm preaching it.
I got to do it.
Speaker 1 (12:25):
How unfortunate for that burglar who walks into the
chief of police home.
Yeah, oops.
Speaker 3 (12:29):
Yeah, oops, yeah, it'd be interesting.
Chose the wrong one andsomething else.
Not everybody's a dog lover,but dogs are a huge deterrent.
Speaker 2 (12:38):
That's it, chief.
If the opportunity arose, Icould tell you probably I could
count on one hand in 30 yearsthe amount of burglary reports I
took at a house with a dog.
Yep Right.
Speaker 1 (12:51):
The bigger the dog the better.
Oh, I I had, well, I had aneapolitan mastiff and he was
not a dog who barked a lot, buthe would step out from somewhere
and at all, 140 pounds of himand he was the runt.
It would change somebody's mindbefore they walked on my
property, and that happened ahandful of times during the day.
Speaker 3 (13:09):
Yeah, so, and speaking of during the day,
typically most burglaries occurduring daytime hours.
It is very rare that they occurat nighttime, and that is a
common misconception by thepublic.
Speaker 1 (13:22):
Why is that?
Speaker 3 (13:24):
What I believe it's because they know that people
are at work.
Kids are in school, parents areat work.
Kids are in school, parents areat work.
It's highly unlikely thatsomebody's going to be occupying
that residence during thedaytime hours.
Speaker 1 (13:36):
Okay, that's good to know they're not looking to find
somebody.
Speaker 2 (13:40):
When they get in there, they want to find a
vacant home, exactly.
Speaker 3 (13:43):
Typically, burglars aren't looking for confrontation
, they're looking for an easyget in, get out and get gone,
agreed yeah.
Speaker 1 (13:54):
So you've seen firsthand how Neighborhood Watch
programs and communityvigilance can make a big
difference.
Can you share any informationabout how those efforts have
helped us in Milton?
Speaker 3 (14:06):
What we learned is that people don't want to hear
the Neighborhood Watch speechesover and over and over again,
because it does come across.
It can come across ascondescending.
Even though some of thesepreventative tips are so simple.
They really do work.
Speaker 1 (14:22):
So a Neighborhood Watch program is just somebody
coming in and talking to theneighborhood.
You know you think about themovies and the first thing I
thought was you know theneighborhood watch people on the
street you know walking aroundwith their little fluorescent
green jackets.
Speaker 3 (14:35):
Yeah Well, that's not a thing.
No, not anymore, not here.
But community vigilance itselfis key.
If you see something, saysomething.
People are always hesitant tocall 911 when they shouldn't be.
That, quite literally, is thereason we are here is to call
911 when they shouldn't be.
That, quite literally, is thereason we are here is to check
out something suspicious.
(14:55):
You see something you see atyour neighbor's house that's a
little off all that so important.
And listen, the citizens areour eyes and ears.
They're the best weapon we haveto combat a lot of crime.
And if they don't call us andmake us aware, if they just get
a weird feeling they seesomething off, hey, that car
doesn't belong there.
I know they're out of town orwhatever the situation may be,
(15:20):
call us.
That's literally what we'rehere for and we appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (15:25):
Fair, fair, so let's talk about avoidable pitfalls.
What common mistakes do peoplemake that could unintentionally
invite trouble?
Fair, fair, so let's talk aboutavoidable pitfalls.
Speaker 3 (15:36):
What common mistakes do people make that could
unintentionally invite trouble?
So something as simple as ifyou're going on a trip.
I know it's so hard in thesocial media world we all live
in, but a lot of people postabout their trip.
Hey, we're going to be gone thenext two weeks and they'll put
it out on facebook, instagram,so excited I'm not saying that,
saying that people that you'refriends with that look at your
(15:57):
post are going to be the onescommitting the burglary.
But that is what's consideredopen source information and if
your page isn't locked down tojust your friend group, anybody
can see that.
Other things like if you knowyou're going to have packages
delivered while you're gone,have a neighbor grab the
packages off your porch everyday You're going to be gone for
(16:18):
an extended amount of time, stopyour mail delivery through the
postal service.
They do it for free.
It's very simple.
You can do it online.
Not many people get newspapersanymore, but we have had
instances.
Our local paper does getdelivered and I've driven around
some neighborhoods here andseen five, six, seven newspapers
(16:39):
at the end of the driveway.
That is a key signal thatsomebody's out of town.
Speaker 1 (16:43):
Somebody's gone.
Speaker 3 (16:44):
And other than that, just locking and securing your
doors and actually setting youralarm is huge, Chief.
Speaker 2 (16:51):
why don't you talk a little bit about the program
that we offer?
Speaker 3 (16:54):
So vacation patrols.
Anybody can go onto our websiteand sign up for a vacation
patrol.
If you're planning a trip outof town, you can tell us.
Hey, we're going to be gonefrom this date to this date and
we have a girl named Kayleetaking care of our cat Right.
That'll be there every day,usually in the afternoon,
(17:15):
evening time.
She drives this car thereshouldn't be any other cars in
the driveway and what ourofficers will actually do, and
our public safety ambassadors,as much as they can, depending
on call volume, they will go byyour house, get out of their
vehicle, walk around yourproperty, look for any kind of
signs of any nefarious activity,open door, open window.
(17:39):
Our officers have found opendoors, unlocked doors, a host of
things, and then we are able tosecure it after searching the
house, making sureeverything's's safe and sound,
contacting the homeowner,because we'll have the contact
information from the vacationpatrol application.
It's just a great program andpeople have really started
(18:00):
taking advantage of it well,that's really a great service.
Speaker 1 (18:05):
being out of town is something that can be super
stressful for homeowners,especially if it's long term and
somebody who's new to theneighborhood or new to the area
that doesn't have thatconnection with their neighbors.
Speaker 3 (18:17):
Oh, that's huge.
I get emails weekly.
Hey, I saw your officers walkaround my house on the cameras.
Thank you, thank you.
They didn't think we'd actuallydo it.
Speaker 1 (18:28):
You can sign up for it.
Speaker 3 (18:30):
I assure you they actually do it and they take it
serious.
Speaker 1 (18:34):
That's great, that's amazing.
So I want to kind of turn thisto a broader picture.
Strategic policing is vital inaddressing quality of life
issues that directly impact thecommunity.
So I want to start with justthe basics what exactly is
strategic policing and how doesit differ from the traditional
approaches?
Speaker 3 (18:54):
So traditionally and Steve can speak to this as well
we were always very responsiveor reactive.
It was more reactive policingthan proactive.
Strategic policing is makingsure we focus our resources in
the right areas.
We are very statisticallydriven at Milton PD and we
(19:14):
analyze these stats weekly,sometimes daily, to look for
trends, and then we sit down andwe strategize.
We literally strategize aboutworking to mitigate them in the
most efficient manner, whetherit's targeted traffic
enforcement in high crash areasor even from receiving multiple
(19:35):
complaints in a certain areawhere we need to deploy more
resources.
It's knowledge that we wouldn'tknow unless we sat down and
looked at everything that wedeal with and come up with a
strategy that best matchestackling that issue.
Speaker 1 (19:50):
And those strategies are very specific to the Milton
area because you're looking atthat particular set of data.
Speaker 3 (19:57):
Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (19:58):
Right on.
So, Steve, with your years ofexperience, how have you seen
strategic policing evolve tostrike that delicate balance
between enforcement and servingthe unique needs of a community?
Speaker 2 (20:15):
By making your work data-driven, like the chief said
, you're putting your resourceswhere you need them and you're
not putting them where you don'tneed them.
And there's a whole variety oftools you can use to be able to
whether you work in crimeprevention or you're doing work
and related to some type ofpatternized crime, the data
really puts you in a position towork with your community for
them to understand what you'redoing and why you're doing it.
(20:38):
A lot of times people will saywell, why are you watching this
stop sign?
Or why are you doing speedcontrol on this road?
Well, it might be because wehave issues related to running a
stop sign or speed, but itcould also be related to a
series of burglaries orlarcenies or things like that,
and we're using that opportunityto be able to get out there,
(20:58):
see who's traveling around, seewho belongs, who doesn't belong.
A lot of times, the officersapproach people.
If someone gets caught thatpotentially lives in the
neighborhood, instead of gettinga ticket, they're getting hey,
have you seen anything out ofthe ordinary?
These things work extremelywell and I came up in an era
before really data-drivenpolicing was a thing, and it
took a little while for lawenforcement to really embrace
(21:20):
what it had to offer and reallyit's just taken off.
Speaker 1 (21:24):
What's that time frame?
I mean, what are we looking at?
Speaker 2 (21:30):
It would go back to the Bratton years in New York
City with Comstat, probably backin the 90s actually early 90s
when they started really workingtowards the broken windows
theory of policing, and it had atremendous effect on New York
City at the time and it wasreplicated throughout the
country.
Not everything about Comstatwas fantastic, but the
data-driven techniques has notbeen lost.
Speaker 1 (21:50):
Yeah, that's an incident where technology has
really contributed positively toplanning and strategizing
toward keeping your communitysafer.
Speaker 2 (21:59):
I couldn't agree more , yep.
Speaker 1 (22:01):
Right on.
So I'm also curious, chief, ifyou can share an example of a
particularly innovative orcreative approach Milton's Law
Enforcement has used to tackle apersistent issue.
Speaker 3 (22:12):
Well, like I said earlier, we do this daily.
It's hard to drill down to onespecific incident, but the key
is for us to collaborate withour brothers and sisters around
the table and come up with astrategy.
Think outside the box if wehave to.
(22:33):
Not everything we deal with isa violation of law.
It may be a quality of lifeissue that we know is impacting
the community and that mattersto us.
So I think taking the time tothink outside the box to use
that phrase again has reallybenefited us to where we don't
get siloed in the lawenforcement realm of enforcement
(22:54):
.
There might be something elsewe can do through environmental
design, education, communicationto that specific area or
community.
We've just seen a ton ofsuccess with that and it's going
to continue.
Speaker 2 (23:09):
Chief, you know you all did something, without
getting into too much detail,where we had patternized
shoplifting.
I was very impressed by whatyou all were able to identify as
the pattern and even get aheadof potentially the next
shoplifting.
Speaker 3 (23:24):
That was something pretty creative, it was creative
and, like I said, that alloccurred by us sitting around a
table and coming up with astrategy.
We were able to figure out thatthis particular group would
come to this business to committhese larcenies on a specific
day of the week, and we wereable to deploy technology and
(23:44):
undercover officers to watch theparking lot.
And it wasn't long before wewere successful in Navidim.
Speaker 1 (23:52):
Wow, that's amazing Fun fact.
I don't know if you knew this.
I wanted to be a lawenforcement agent a long time
ago.
I did.
Speaker 3 (24:01):
It's never too late.
Speaker 2 (24:02):
You defeat me.
You still can be.
We have some positions open.
Speaker 1 (24:06):
I am a little past my prime on that.
The fitness test worries me alittle bit.
Speaker 2 (24:11):
There's no such thing as past your prime.
Speaker 1 (24:14):
Says the one not coming up on their birthday here
in the next few days.
So finally, let's talk aboutsome priorities.
With so many concerns competingfor attention, because you guys
deal with a wide range ofissues on the daily, every hour
how does your team decide whatto tackle first?
And, just as importantly, howcan residents effectively share
(24:36):
their concerns to help shapethose priorities?
Speaker 3 (24:39):
So to tackle the communication part of this,
first, the city has a C-ClickFix app that they can download,
specific to the city of Milton,where they can report anything
from public works issues tospeeding complaints, to
suspicious activity, and the appsends an email directly to the
department division at thepolice department, whether it be
(25:02):
the traffic unit or uniformpatrol or criminal
investigations, and we reach outand we get more details if need
be and all that gets consideredwhen we're sitting down talking
about strategy.
(25:23):
Like I said earlier, we're sostatistically driven and we are
complaint driven for quality oflife issues, speeding issues,
things of that nature.
If you see our officers outthere running a lot of traffic
or speed enforcement in acertain area, it's because
somebody complained about speedin that area.
(25:44):
Now we vet these complaints inthat area.
Now we vet these complaints Alot of times.
You know we'll get a randomcomplaint on a side road and we
have technology that we can putout there for a week or so and
it observes speeds, gives usaverages, gives us the amount of
enforceable vehicles and thetime frames If there's a
(26:05):
specific time frame.
Again, this goes back intobeing very strategic.
So we know we don't have to sitour traffic unit out there for
14 hours a day.
We know it's worse between 4 pmand 6.30 pm and we have that
smaller window, targeted, moreeffective enforcement to go on.
Speaker 1 (26:25):
Another growing concern that affects many people
is today's digital world andthe threat of identity fraud,
and we see it all the time.
We see the ads, we see all theplans that people are selling to
try and protect it chief.
With identity theft on the rise, what are some key red flags
people should be aware of toavoid falling victim?
Speaker 3 (26:47):
There are spoofed emails that look like they're
coming from your bank.
They're commonly called as likephishing emails.
I know we at the city are veryconcerned about phishing emails
for good reason.
They make them look so real.
Yes, they will steal images,it'll come from an address that
(27:07):
is similar, but things to lookfor is maybe some misspelling,
some bad grammar.
What I always do and I'vegotten several of these phishing
emails in recent years is Iwill call my banking institution
directly and ask them if itcame from them, and almost every
single time I've called them itdidn't come from them.
(27:27):
Yeah, that's a huge red flag.
And to kind of take this alittle farther towards the scam
side of things, phone calls yes,we will never call you to take
care of a warrant over the phonewith Apple cards.
Speaker 1 (27:43):
Kroger gift cards or.
Speaker 3 (27:46):
Kroger gift cards or green dot cards to pay a fine.
Speaker 2 (27:51):
We laugh about that because it sounds so ridiculous
and then you wonder why are somany people victimized?
But the reality is, when youget that call, they scare you,
Panic, and what they do is theytry to get you to react in a way
that you wouldn't normallyreact.
And every time someone isvictimized they look back and
they say oh my gosh, I can'tbelieve I did this.
(28:15):
The reality is is fear is astrong emotion and a motivating
factor to do things you mightnot normally do.
Speaker 1 (28:23):
And it seems that the older population is the target
for that.
Because I consistently havethis conversation with my mother
, because she will click onanything that is sent to her.
She will, hey, your phone needscleaned up.
So she clicks on it, absolutely.
And then her phone, her AppleID has been hijacked and
everything else has beenhijacked on and she doesn't
(28:44):
understand.
Speaker 3 (28:44):
She didn't grow up with the technology,
Unfortunately it's quite commonthat the elderly are highly
victimized by these type scams.
To the point to where weactually reached out to our
local big box stores that sellgift cards and educated the
cashiers, the front end storemanagers, about what to look for
(29:05):
.
We put up signs in the giftcard areas explaining people, if
don't buy gift cards, to payfines over the phone, just
trying to build this extraawareness.
Cashiers have actually stoppedpeople from buying thousands of
dollars worth of iTunes cards,or whatever the card may be, and
(29:25):
had the manager call the policedepartment out there and we
speak with the people.
Could they be buying them forall their grandchildren or
great-grandchildren?
Of course, and there's been afew instances to what.
That's exactly what they weredoing, but we have stopped a lot
of people from being victimizedwith just educating our
partners at the stores.
Speaker 1 (29:46):
Right, so you're talking about education, which
kind of leads me to my questionwith Steve is additional steps
that people can take to protecttheir personal details and
ensure that they're not leavingthemselves vulnerable?
Speaker 2 (29:58):
The fact is, no matter how vigilant we are as
individuals, our information isout there and the repositories
they're in have been breached bybad guys already.
So our dates of birth, socialsecurity numbers, all those
things are already out there onthe dark web.
So what's what's critical isthat we the to access our
(30:20):
important websites, like ourbanks and things like that, you
have to change those passwordsconstantly and don't change them
from one dog to the other.
Your passwords need to make nosense to anybody.
Keep it somewhere where, ifyou're trusting enough to keep
it in an app, which is what I doI change my passwords probably
once a month, and they meannothing.
Speaker 1 (30:42):
All of them.
Speaker 2 (30:42):
All of them and I use a company that it automatically
changes them.
And then I change them with mybanks and everything like that.
And it is a great protectivemeasure because, like I said,
your information is out there.
If you're able to get into thedark web a quick search, you're
going to find anything all ofour personal information out
(31:03):
there.
You've got to protect it at thepoint of where the bad guys are
going to try to access yourmoney.
Speaker 1 (31:10):
Right so chief.
If someone does fall victim toidentity theft, what resources
or tools are available tosupport them through that
recovery process?
Speaker 3 (31:19):
So, unfortunately, financial institutions have
become so used to theseoccurring.
They've gotten much quickerreversing the fraud once it's
reported to them.
A lot of the most of the timethey'll require some type of
police report.
So citizens will have to call9-1-1 and have an officer come
out to the house, or they cancome meet us at the police
(31:40):
department what have you andwe'll get the basic information.
Typically they're reversedwithin 24 hours.
We do a lot of social mediablasts about identity theft.
Like Steve said, it's reallyhard to come back because your
information's out there.
It's more about education, sothe more we can educate the
public.
Hey, this is what we're seeing.
(32:00):
But, to be totally honest, thetrends haven't changed in the
last seven, eight years.
I mean, it's just over and overand over again people just
getting victimized or theiraccounts seized by some
perpetrator, and a lot of thesecases originate outside the
United States, which makes itincredibly difficult for us.
(32:20):
It's like hitting a brick wallfor us.
It's frustrating.
Speaker 1 (32:25):
The lack of change in that seven years?
Is that more related to peoplenot paying attention to the
campaigns that are being pushedand the information that's
available, or boiling down tofear?
And how do we address that?
It's incredibly difficult.
Speaker 3 (32:44):
I think a lot of it is boiled down to financial
institutions being so muchbetter at cleaning it up.
It actually let people puttheir cards down, which is the
wrong thing to do, because it'sso much easier cleaned up after
the fact now because they'vegotten so used to it.
Speaker 2 (33:00):
I'm going to agree with the chief.
In fact, I was thinking thesame thing.
It's so easy.
If I was victimized and someonecharges a few thousand dollars
on my credit card, all I do ismake a call and it's gone.
And it didn't used to be thatway.
No, it wasn't, and it's verylikely.
I don't have to call the policeanything, it just goes away.
And the thing is, the bad guysalso win because they're not
(33:21):
going after them either.
They're writing this offgenerally and the bad guys get
their proceeds.
Me as a victim.
I made whole and it's just onto the next one, and that is
Chief.
I agree with you.
That is part of the problem.
Speaker 1 (33:35):
So what about the role of AI in all this?
Because we've all heard thestories in the last handful of
years about people using AI toduplicate a voice, and now
that's terrifying.
Speaker 3 (33:49):
We've taken reports of that here.
Speaker 1 (33:50):
So how do you discern whether that's real or not?
Because you want to talk aboutfear.
Is you call me or somebody Iknow and tell them that their
loved one is in danger?
And you've got their voice?
You?
Speaker 2 (34:04):
just unlocked a new fear for me.
Speaker 3 (34:05):
So that's crazy, my best advice would be to call us
out to your house, give theofficer the information of where
they called from.
So it is not hard for people tospoof a phone number.
It may look like it's comingfrom the Milton Police
Department.
It may look like it's comingfrom FBI Atlanta.
They can make it say whateverthey want and appear as whatever
(34:27):
number they want it to appear,as Technology is awesome and
technology is a pain sometimes.
My advice would be to call usout there if there's anything
questionable, or hang up andcall that family member.
Call another member of yourfamily that knows exactly where
that person is.
It's great advice.
Wait a second they're not outof the country, they're not in
(34:49):
jail in Mexico.
I just ate breakfast with them.
Inquire, yeah, you know, justtake it a step further, because
that's scary.
Speaker 1 (34:56):
That's the one thing that I worry about, that I would
not be able to make thatdecision.
Speaker 2 (35:01):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (35:01):
Besides to maybe ask so-and-so, to call so-and-so
while I still have this persononline.
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (35:08):
It's always good to get the police involved.
They're objective detached.
Speaker 1 (35:12):
Right.
Speaker 2 (35:12):
They're not working off of fear.
Speaker 1 (35:20):
Now we're still kind of in that realm of the digital
world.
I do want to touch real brieflyon teen sexting, because I know
we're seeing a lot of that andit is a super sensitive topic
and it's becoming increasinglyprevalent in today's digital age
, and it's an issue that is notonly complex but it can also
have serious legal, emotionaland social consequences,
especially for minors involved,and it's a conversation that
(35:43):
really needs to be handled withcare with parents and law
enforcement, and law enforcementhas a critical role in all this
.
So, with all that being said,chief, what are some of the
legal implications for minorsinvolved in sexting and why is
it such a serious issue?
Speaker 3 (35:59):
So what minors don't realize is that transmitting a
picture of a minor exposing anypart of their self, private
parts of their self, is a felony.
It is literally transmittingchild porn is what it's
considered under Georgia statelaw.
Even though they do itthemselves, they could be
(36:22):
opening themselves up tocriminal charges.
Obviously, our goal when we getthese cases is to minimize the
emotional damage and everythingelse that comes from it.
And it's happening.
It's happening here, it'shappening in middle school.
Speaker 1 (36:36):
And how do you tell your kids we do, we repeat to
them all the time don't do that.
And it seems like such a commonsense issue.
Speaker 3 (36:46):
It's probably different for every family.
You know I've had thosediscussions with my kids.
I tell them stories of stuff wedeal with at work, hoping that
it will educate them enough tonot do it.
It's incredibly alarming andthe best thing to tell your
children is once that stuff'sout there.
It's out there and it's goingto get shared and it's going to
(37:06):
get blasted all over the placeand it can get out of hand real
quick.
Speaker 1 (37:11):
Real quick.
So, steve, for parents andcaregivers, how can we open the
conversation about the risk ofsexting with our teens without
creating an environment of shameor fear?
Speaker 2 (37:22):
That's a tough one.
I think the first thing asparents we need to understand
that this is not just a coupleof children doing this.
This is incredibly prevalentyes and you're much more likely
to find that the child in theirmid-teens who haven't
participated in that in theminority, it has become a very
(37:45):
regular thing and the reality isis they're the chief said.
These children share thesethings and they become such a
point of shame.
I mean, there have beenchildren that have done horrific
things to themselves.
You know the news is litteredwith it over these types of
situations.
So you know how do parentsapproach that with the kids.
(38:06):
It's almost like having to havethat initial discussion with
your children about sex in thefirst place, but you've got to
find a way to have that open andhonest conversation and if
you're not the right person,perhaps a family member who is
in their 20s or something alongthose lines might be the right
person to have thoseconversations.
But at the end of the day,someone's got to have those
(38:28):
conversations, Otherwise it justcontinues on.
Speaker 1 (38:32):
Yeah, what age do you suppose would be the best to
start talking about this,because I know kids are starting
to get cell phones and accessto computers earlier and earlier
.
Speaker 2 (38:44):
I think parents really have to start identifying
their children's behavior.
Some kids mature faster thanothers.
You could have a 10-year-oldplaying with dolls and a
10-year-old not playing withdolls.
So I would recommend that asparents start to see their
children mature more and maybeshow some interest in the
opposite sex, they start toreally consider how to approach
(39:05):
that.
Speaker 1 (39:06):
Right, and are there ways to monitor that through
their cell phones?
Speaker 3 (39:11):
Yes, absolutely there's apps and there's several
companies out there.
Not to plug any specificcompany, the only one I know of
that I used was Bark B-A-R-K,which is a monitoring app, and
some phones are more easilymonitored than others.
Apple products they pridethemselves on their security.
Speaker 1 (39:31):
They're not so easy, they're not so easy.
Speaker 3 (39:33):
They only get downloaded into the Bark app, I
think every 12 hours or every 24hours, as Android is real-time.
So a parent might get a textfrom Bark saying hey, there's,
an inappropriate image was justsent or just taken or received
on your child's device.
So there's all kinds of optionsout there.
(39:55):
I would have people do theirown research, see what works
best for them and their familyand the products that they have
with phones.
Speaker 1 (40:03):
Are there programs or educational seminars, workshops
that we do here in Milton tohelp our teens?
Speaker 3 (40:13):
So we do partner with again with Fulton County
Schools and assist them.
We have put on several cellphone safety courses, usually
for high school students istypically what they've pulled us
into use.
But anytime that there isconcern by one of our school
administrators or one of ourprivate school headmasters, they
(40:36):
know that they can reach out tous and we will come and put on
a full presentation for as manykids as possible.
It is a huge problem and it'snot just here in Milton, it is
nationwide.
Speaker 1 (40:48):
Yeah, yeah, it's unfortunate.
So in the past, we've talked alot about community engagement.
It seems to be a very commonterm and a very important term,
and it's becoming increasingly acornerstone of modern law
enforcement for many reasons,and I would love to hear both of
your perspectives on this.
So can you tell me whycommunity engagement is so
(41:13):
crucial in today's policing andhow does it benefit the
residents and the officers?
Speaker 3 (41:19):
Community engagement, in my opinion, is one of our
most vital roles at Milton PD.
We want the community membersto feel comfortable reaching out
to us for anything.
That starts with being familiarwith the community we serve and
the community seeing familiarfaces in the officers.
And the more face time we canget with our community members
the better.
I think that immediately leadsto building trust and legitimacy
(41:41):
for our officers in ourdepartment and law enforcement
profession really, but it'svital.
Speaker 1 (41:51):
Yeah.
So, steve, you and I chattedbefore about your previous role
in Albany, and so I feel likeyou can really speak to this
firsthand about the impact ofstrong partnerships in the
community.
So can you share one of yoursuccess stories with that
collaboration?
Speaker 2 (42:06):
I have a tremendous number of success stories with
that back in my previous world,but here in Milton the chief
clearly understands theimportance of having that
partnership.
But I have to say that thereare other facets of government
that have known the importanceof that partnership well before
law enforcement recognized thepower of it.
(42:27):
And to give an example, sinceI've become city manager and
understanding how our communitydevelopment department works in
collaboration with our community, in every planning aspect of
what we do, whether it'schanging codes or design styles
or things like that, it is aconstant collaboration with
community members and boards andcommissions and that is a great
(42:47):
model to follow for lawenforcement, because you get to
hear what people are feeling,what they're thinking, getting
their input.
We have a very educated publichere in the city of Milton and
their input is incrediblyvaluable.
So that's something that I'veseen as a tremendous success
here in Milton and I wish I hadknown the value of that perhaps
you know back in the 1990s.
Speaker 1 (43:10):
Back in the 1990s.
We're going there again, huh.
Speaker 2 (43:14):
When I still had a pager and I didn't have to worry
about any of this.
Speaker 1 (43:18):
So for residents that are looking to get more
involved and we've kind oftouched on a lot of them already
what are some upcomingopportunities where they can
connect with our law enforcementmake a positive impact?
Speaker 3 (43:28):
So we have our Citizens Police Academy coming
up in February.
It's a six-week program.
It's one night a week and everynight there will be a different
topic, whether it's criminalinvestigations, SWAT team,
traffic enforcement we break itup and make it really
interesting.
They get to see what we do.
We have RAD classes coming upin June.
Enforcement we break it up andmake it really interesting.
They get to see what we do.
We have rad classes coming upin june.
(43:51):
rad is a women's self-defenseclass, so I want to take that
rad actually stands for rapeaggression defense and we have
several certified instructorsand participants and role
players.
It is very hands-on.
It is is low impact, you know,depending on everyone's
abilities.
But I'd watch our Facebook andInstagram pages as there's
(44:13):
always opportunities to pop up.
We have a shredding event,speaking of identity theft, we
have a big shredding event we doevery year that's coming up in
April, I believe, and of course,we have Police Week in May,
where we do a whole host ofevents and we'll be pushing all
that out on our social mediasites.
But if you have any specificquestions about upcoming events,
(44:35):
I would urge people to reachout to our community outreach
officer Officer Rebecca Tidwell.
Her email is rebeccatidwell.
That's r-e-b-e-c-c-atidwellt-i-d-w-e-C-A dot Tidwell
T-I-D-W-E-L-L at MiltonGAgov, oryou can reach her at her desk
at 678-242-2527.
Speaker 1 (44:57):
Perfect.
Speaker 3 (44:57):
With any questions about upcoming events.
She's the one that puts themall together.
Speaker 1 (45:02):
Perfect, and I will put that information in the show
notes so it'll be really easyto access for those that are
interested.
And I feel like we've had avery full conversation about a
lot of things that are prominentin today's society, especially
in our community, and I have tosay I'm so grateful to both of
you for joining us today andsharing your valuable insights.
(45:23):
Your expertise and yourcommitment to keeping Milton
safe are truly inspiring, andwe're grateful for the practical
advice and proactive approachesyou both have shared with the
listeners.
So it's clear that creating asafer, more connected community
is the heart of what you do, andwe're lucky to have leaders
like you serving our city, so Ireally appreciate you both being
(45:45):
here.
Speaker 2 (45:45):
I appreciate that.
Thank you, Kristen.
Speaker 1 (45:47):
Absolutely.
Thanks for listening to Miltonin Maine.
We hope this episode gave youfresh insights into what makes
our city so special.
Stay connected and don't missan episode by subscribing to
this podcast on your favoriteplatform and following us on
social media for all updates,all updates and, of course, if
(46:12):
you want to learn more about thecity, visit us online at
wwwmiltongagov for resources,news and upcoming events.
Until next time, thanks forbeing part of the conversation
and we'll see you on the nextMilton and Maine.
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