Total CAD Calls Received: 1,702

Total Agency Calls Generated: 1,941

Law Calls Generated: 1,455 (74.96%)

• Covington Police Department - 413 (21.27%)
• Covington Marshal’s Office - 0 (0.00%)
• Newton County Animal Control - 15 (0.77%)
• Newton County Sheriff's Office - 975 (50.23%)
• Oxford Police Department - 18 (0.92%)
• Porterdale Police Department - 34 (1.75%)

Fire Calls Generated: 215 (11.07%)

• Covington Fire Department: 62 (3.19%)
• Newton County Fire Department: 153 (7.88%)

Newton County EMS Calls Generated: 271 (13.96%)

Accreditation

• Compiled and submitted info for CFD weekly report
• Approved invoices and purchase orders in BSA
• Continued working remotely
• Attended “white paper” meeting with Fire Chief and shift
• Attended CPSE - CDSP executive orientation webinar with admin staff (pictured)
• Completed sessions 2, 3, and 4 of defensive driving class
• Provided hydrant flow information to customer
• Logged confined space notifications in ERS daily log
• Ordered face masks for admin personnel
• Ordered flowers for co-worker family funeral
• Reviewed a co-worker’s FO application for professional designation
• Participated in Vision 20/20 Steering Committee conference call/web meeting (pictured)
• Provided firefighter tag letter for a co-worker
• Fulfilled incident report/open records request

FIRE MARSHAL

• FMO Canady completed Arson 1 and finished #1 in class
• FMO Canady attending Inspector 1
• Inspections delayed due to working remotely
• FMO Fuqua working on suppression
• Finished five plan reviews
• Completed inspection for new restaurant

BREAKDOWN OF INCIDENTS

C-shift Officers Contrareus Roberts (left) and Justin Stott (second from left) join Newton County Deputies in a “drive by birthday” for a little girl on August 16, 2020.

PATROL

1. Officers responded to a criminal trespass call behind Ginn Motor Company. The complainant found a homeless encampment in the woods with two tents and excessive amounts of trash. The encampment was unoccupied at the time and officers located a homeless couple in the front of Ingle’s who claimed no knowledge of the encampment. They were advised to pass the word that the property owner would have a crew remove the encampment from the property the next morning and everything would be placed in the trash.
2. A homeless female continues to sleep on the benches on the square at night. Currently, none of the shops want her cited for trespassing, but the CPD is receiving complaints from some of the shops about her sitting at one spot for hours. She also refuses to get help when offered.
3. 08-10-20: Officers responded to an intoxicated person at 10107 Fieldcrest Drive. The male stated that he was suicidal. On arrival, the male was on the back deck holding a knife. Officers started negotiations and after a short period of time, he threw the knife off the deck and went inside. Officers Daniels and Joyner were staged at the front door. The subject charged Officer Daniels and Officer Daniels proceeded to tase the subject. Tasing stopped his aggressive actions. He was detained and transported to Piedmont Newton for evaluation.
4. 08-11-20: Officers were notified by hospital staff of an individual being brought in with a gunshot wound. The victim had a gunshot wound to his left leg (possible entry wound to the calf area and possible exit wound to the ankle area of his left leg). Male would only provide vague information stating he was with some friends in the Settler Grove area when the incident occurred. He would not provide any further information on how the incident occurred. Detectives will be following up with the case.
5. 08-14-20: Officers worked a recovery of a stolen vehicle at Food Depot. A 2010 Ford F-150 was stolen from a Jasper County home. The owner spotted the vehicle parked at Food Depot and called 911. As units arrived, a male subject approached the vehicle. The subject was arrested. The same F-150 and subject were involved in a hit and run at Dollar General on Hwy. 36 at 1130 that morning. The subject was from New York and security footage places him at Dollar General. Two cases were solved with this arrest.

CID

CID Sgt. Allan Seebaran examined Person Crimes and Property Crimes that CID Detectives worked from August 10, 2020 to August 16, 2020. He compared them with the previous two years and found the following results:

PERSON CRIMES: From August 10 – August 16, 2018, there were 18 reported person crimes; from August 10 – August 16, 2019, there were five reported person crimes; and from August 10 – August 16, 2020, there were four reported person crimes.

• There was a 72% decrease (from 18 to five) in reported person crimes from August 10 – August 16, 2018 to August 10 – August 16, 2019.
• There was a 20% decrease (from five to four) in reported person crimes from August 10 – August 16, 2019 to August 10 – August 16, 2020.
• There was a 78% decrease (from 18 to four) in reported person crimes from August 10 – August 16, 2018 to August 10 – August 16, 2020.

PROPERTY CRIMES: From August 10 – August 16, 2018, there were 28 reported property crimes; from August 10 – August 16, 2019, there were 17 reported property crimes; and from August 10 – August 16, 2020, there were 11 reported property crimes.

• There was a 39% decrease (from 28 to 17) in reported property crimes from August 10 – August 16, 2018 to August 10 – August 16, 2019.
• There was a 35% decrease (from 17 to 11) in reported property crimes from August 10 – August 16, 2019 to August 10 – August 16, 2020.
• There was a 61% decrease (from 28 to 11) in reported property crimes from August 10 – August 16, 2018 to August 10 – August 16, 2020.

SUPPORT SERVICES

The CPD made job offers to five applicants for employment at the CPD. Started police academy applications for four new hires.

ACCOUNTING

• Staff entered 244 invoices for payment to vendors
• The city issued 105 checks for 205 invoices
• Accounting department entered 54 journal entries to record transactions of the city
• Staff sent seven invoices to customers for miscellaneous transactions
• The city issued 314 payroll checks for the bi-weekly payroll of employees
• Staff completed two hours of training regarding the Georgia Uniform Chart of Accounts and CARES Act funding

CUSTOMER SERVICE

Total Transactions Completed By Customer Service Representatives: 1,791

UTILITY BILLING / METER READING

• 183 work orders completed
• 12 meter/ert change outs
• 142 disconnects/cut offs
• 125 reconnects/returns
• Routes read: cycles 6, 11, 7
• 3,326 cycle/final bills
• 11 industrial/large commercial bills

PURCHASING

• Total purchase orders issued – current month - 196
• Total purchase orders issued – current budget year - 536

Current / Upcoming RFP's/Bids

• LMIG – Out for bid
• Holiday Lighting Display – Proposals under review
• Three Phase P/M Transformers - Out for bid
• SCBA for Fire Dept. – Out for bid
• Lawn, Landscape & Ornamentals Maintenance – Out for bid
• Puckett Street Water Main Replacement – Out for bid

MUNICIPAL COURT SERVICES

1. There were no court sessions during this week.
2. 31 new citations were processed and filed in the court.
3. A total of $3,404.00 in fines and fees were collected from web and mailed in payments.
4. Three warrant dismissals were verified that warrant removal was completed accurately.
5. There were six separate open record requests completed and two DDS suspension withdrawals processed.
6. A total of 411 separate documents for the week and they were scanned into Courtware Software.
7. The office has responded to 157+ emails from internal and external customers.
8. There were 218 calls from telephone customers.
9. Mailed out 100+ packets with solicitor’s recommendation for entering a plea.

• Attended quarterly Retirement Committee meeting via teleconference
• Prepared August 17 Council Meeting agenda, packet and notes
• Fielded 45 phone calls

Upcoming Events

• GLGPA Board Retreat – August 19-21
• Council Retreat – August 26-27 – HR Staff and vendors

LAST WEEK'S TASKS & EVENTS

• Prepared for council retreat
• Reviewed benefit bills and invoices
• Dealt with many questions/concerns regarding quarantine and isolation due to differing degrees of possible COVID exposure.
• Opened three new FMLA cases and closed two FMLA cases.
• Virtaully hosted the Retirement Review Committee Quarterly meeting

ONGOING EVENTS

• Providing quality customer care to our employees and retirees
• Reviewing applications for vacant positions
• Scanning of HR files by our temporary employee
• Monitoring the coronavirus pandemic and listening to professionals about proper return to work protocols
• Carl Vinson Operations Study – ongoing
• Archer Salary Study – Completed, awaiting presentation to City Council
• Preparing for Retirement Review Committee meeting – discussing with vendors
• Preparing a new policy for review by Council concerning a Shared Leave Bank
• Personnel matters

EMPLOYEE COUNT AND VACANCIES

POSITIONS FILLED: 306

VACANT POSITIONS: 19

TOTAL POSITIONS: 325

WELCOME CENTER

• Finalized information for brochures for new Welcome Center – determinations made for redesign/update of information for Covington’s six local brochures
• Continued updating displays for center (pictured)
• Conference call with GA Film Trails, discussion of Covington’s film museum and plans for group to visit/tour when COVID threat subsides
• Discussion of Council Retreat presentation
• Film posters beginning to arrive; to be displayed in hallway of Welcome Center
• Updated regional Visitor Information Centers (VICs) regarding progress/plans for Covington’s center
• Discussion with regional VICs of plans to service visitors while unable to open. Covington continues via external brochure kiosks and outside assistance/tours.

TOURISM, DOWNTOWN & SPECIAL PROJECTS