Press Releases

On Feb. 14, DeKalb County Commissioner Lorraine Cochran-Johnson’s text amendments to the Video Surveillance System (VSS) ordinance were passed unanimously by the Board of Commissioners. Initially approved in 2022, the ordinance requires gas stations, convenience stores and high-risk businesses to operate a 24-hour VSS and regulates footage quality, storage and lighting. The ordinance was created to capture video footage of crime at gas and service stations, often the location for the highest incidents of violent crime in DeKalb County.

Due to forecasted cold weather, DeKalb County will open five warming centers for residents on Tues., Feb. 13, 2024, starting at 8 p.m. to use. Anyone staying in the warming centers must follow the county’s COVID-19 protocols that include wearing a mask, social distancing and undergoing a temperature check.

DeKalb County Commissioner Larry Johnson, in his role as the District 3 commissioner and past president of the National Association of Counties, is attending the Council of Local Government Exchange and Cooperation Seminar hosted by Council of Local Authorities for International Relations (CLAIR) in Tokyo, Japan.

Yesterday, the Governing Authority of DeKalb County Government approved a Resolution presented by Commissioner Lorraine Cochran-Johnson supporting DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond in performing an external audit of DeKalb County Animal Services managed by LifeLine Animal Project, Inc. The external audit will include animal shelter operations, policies, and practices. This action comes after almost a year of allegations about concerning shelter operations, small dog cages, dirty cages, sanitation, housekeeping, clogged air ducts and overcrowding.

Commissioner Michelle Long Spears of DeKalb County’s District 2, in collaboration with a volunteer-led design team, announces the State of DeKalb Animals address on Wednesday, April 10, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Historic DeKalb Courthouse in Decatur. This is the kickoff to a series of events aiming to address, discuss and tackle the animal services challenges facing DeKalb County.