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DeKalb commissioners defer vote on LGBTQ+ police liaison resolution to October
Summary
The IRPS committee discussed a resolution urging an LGBTQ+ liaison and hate-crimes training; Chief Padrick said training is approved for statewide certification and recommended an inclusive, department-wide approach. The committee voted to defer the resolution to the October meeting.
The IRPS committee debated a resolution urging the DeKalb County Police Department to create an LGBTQ+ liaison role and require hate-crimes identification training, then voted to defer the item to the committee's October meeting for further work and outside input.
Commissioner Ted Terry opened the discussion, saying the resolution would affirm ongoing departmental intentions and respond to community concerns about bias-motivated incidents. He cited a May 2023 Georgia Equality report and broader crime reporting that he said indicate increases in some bias-motivated incidents.
Chief Padrick said he supported the intent of the resolution but urged a department-wide, inclusive approach rather than singling out a single group for a single liaison, noting DeKalb's wide diversity across communities. He described an internally developed sensitivity course focused on LGBTQ+ issues that, after review by the academy director, was submitted to and approved by the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council (Georgia POST) and will be included in next year's mandated in-service training for all officers. "Once it was approved by the academy director as well, I instructed them to send it to Georgia Post to our Peace Officer Standards and Training Council," he told commissioners.
When asked for data, Chief Padrick said he had reviewed hate-crime reports back to January 2024 and found about 15 reports in the last 17–18 months; he said none of those reports had been adjudicated as hate crimes and that he believed two were specific to LGBTQ+ individuals. He offered to provide the exact numbers to staff.
Commissioners requested that central staff invite Georgia Equality or another local advocacy group to present implementation examples and to help refine the measure. Commissioners also discussed whether the resolution should be framed as a more general hate-crime policy affirmation rather than an LGBTQ+-specific liaison proposal.
Commissioner Shakira Johnson moved to defer agenda item 2025-1107 to the first IRPS meeting in October (October 7); the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote.
What's next: staff will seek input from Georgia Equality (or a similar group) and provide additional data and proposed language for the resolution at the October meeting.
