CEO Thurmond Selects Joseph Lumpkin as New Head of Public Safety for DeKalb County

DECATUR, Ga. – Today, DeKalb CEO Michael Thurmond announced the selection of Joseph “Jack” H. Lumpkin to be the new deputy chief operating officer of public safety for DeKalb County, effective Jan. 28, 2018. He will be responsible for police, fire rescue, animal control, emergency management, 911 and medical examiner services. Currently, Mr. Lumpkin is the chief of the Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police Department.

“Chief Lumpkin has built a stellar leadership record in law enforcement in Georgia and across the country,” said CEO Thurmond. “He will enhance DeKalb’s public safety departments which will help make the county safer and improve quality of life.”

Chief Lumpkin will be responsible for leading approximately 1,600 employees with a total 2018 annual budget of nearly $201 million.

His responsibilities also will include:

• Improving police services by recruiting and hiring 248 new officers.
• Strengthening relations with the community by continuing the development of the police mental health roundtable, youth crime prevention initiatives and outreach to multilingual communities.
• Enhancing coordination and communications for emergency and disaster responses.
• Administering more than $85 million in special-purpose local-option sales tax (SPLOST) funds over the next six years for improving public safety facilities and capital projects focused on replacing and constructing new fire stations and new police facilities.

Chief Lumpkin brings more than 40 years of experience in law enforcement including police chief positions in Toccoa, Albany, Athens-Clark County, and most recently Savannah-Chatham County. He presently serves on the board of directors of the International Association of Chiefs of Police. He previously served as a vice president for the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Officers (NOBLE). The Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police recognized Lumpkin as Peace Officer of the Year in 2014 and he was recognized by Georgia NOBLE in 2003 as Police Officer of the Year.

Chief Lumpkin received degrees from Brenau University and Columbus State University and is a graduate of Leadership Georgia as well as leadership programs in Toccoa, Albany and Savannah. He also is a 2017 graduate of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) National Executive Institute, which is designed for senior FBI leaders and heads of local, state, federal and international agencies with over 500 sworn officers.

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