Chief J.R. Westerfield

04/29/2026

02/28/2026

Super late post😆
It was truly an honor to host the January meeting of the DeKalb County Chiefs Association here in the City of Stone Mountain.
We were proud to welcome chiefs and law enforcement leaders from across DeKalb County as we continue to collaborate, share intelligence, and strengthen professional standards across our agencies.
A special thank you to Jeliani Linder for personally welcoming our members to Stone Mountain and for her continued partnership and support of public safety initiatives within our city.
We also extend our sincere appreciation to Nelly Miles with Julie Parker Communications for her outstanding presentation on crisis communication, media engagement, and public messaging in high-profile investigations. Her expertise—shaped by years of service as a PIO and leadership during complex incidents—provided valuable insight for all attending agencies.
We were equally honored to have Lorraine Cochran-Johnson address the membership and thank our chiefs for their service, partnership, and professionalism. Her remarks recognizing the hard work and sacrifice of law enforcement professionals across DeKalb County were greatly appreciated.

Congratulations to 2025 DCCA Officer of the Year, Detective Robert Lindsey of the Decatur Police Department, for this well-deserved recognition. Your professionalism and commitment to excellence represent the very best of law enforcement in DeKalb County.

02/02/2026

We grieve with the family, friends, and colleagues of Gwinnett County Police Department Officer Pradeep Tamang, who was killed in the line of duty on February 1, 2026.

Thank you, Officer Tamang, for your selfless service and sacrifice. Officer Tamang gave his life to protect his community, and his heroic sacrifice will never be forgotten.

01/25/2026

01/07/2026

The Dekalb County Chiefs' Association (DCCA) closed out the year with a productive and collaborative December meeting, and I want to extend sincere appreciation to everyone who contributed to its success.

Thank you to our host
Dunwoody Police Department and Chief Michael Carlson, MPA for the warm hospitality and continued partnership.

Special thanks to DeKalb County Superior Court for their presentation by Debra DeBerry, Clerk of Superior Court, on community engagement strategies to protect residents from real estate theft and fraud.

Technology and communications updates from Loudoun Communications and L3Harris Technologies, presented by Alex Coker, highlighting recent capabilities and innovations supporting public safety operations

As we reflect on the year, it has truly been a spectacular year of collaboration across the DeKalb region—marked by shared knowledge, strong partnerships, and a unified commitment to professional excellence and community-focused policing.
Thank you to all our chiefs, partners, and presenters for making 2025 a year of progress and purpose. We look forward to building on this momentum in the year ahead.

11/26/2025

Dekalb County Chiefs Association – November Meeting Recap

I want to extend our sincere gratitude to all who joined us for the November 12th Dekalb County Chiefs Association meeting, hosted by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

A special thank-you to our presenters for their valuable insight and partnership:

Steve Herold, Critical Response Group

Shaquile Riley, Enterprise Fleet Management

Amber Harris Harris, Women's Resource Center to End Domestic Violence

Your continued collaboration and expertise strengthen law enforcement across DeKalb County and beyond.

I also appreciate Director Chris Hosey and Lisa Vorrasi and the entire GBI team for their hospitality and continued support of the DCCA mission.

🤝 Together, we’re promoting professionalism, partnership, and progress in public safety.

11/15/2025

Your Chiefs of Police and executive leadership team from across the DeKalb County region will be on hand serving our citizens during this Thanksgiving Food Distribution.
During this time of need, we want to help ease any uncertainty for families as the holiday approaches. It is our honor to stand alongside our community, provide support, and ensure that every family has the opportunity to enjoy a warm and meaningful Thanksgiving meal.

We look forward to seeing you there as we continue our shared commitment to service, compassion, and community unity.

Public and government service

10/24/2025

October DeKalb County Chiefs Association Meeting

The Dekalb County Chiefs' Association extends its sincere appreciation to our gracious host, the Dekalb County District Attorneys Office, and Sherry Boston DeKalb County District Attorney for welcoming our members to this month’s meeting.

We are also deeply grateful to our guest presenters for sharing their expertise and strengthening our collective knowledge across the law enforcement community:

🔹 ATF Special Agent Brian Moore – provided an excellent overview of NIBIN (National Integrated Ballistic Information Network), the automated ballistic-imaging tool that enables agencies to link crimes involving the same firearm and enhance multi-jurisdictional investigations.

🔹 Timothy Clark, Senior Vice President at Gatekeeper Global – delivered a compelling presentation on Property Rights Investigations, highlighting how his team represents over 100 luxury and industry-leading brands in brand enforcement and intellectual property protection.

Thank you to all our members and partners for your continued dedication to collaboration, innovation, and excellence in public safety across DeKalb County.