Paving Project
Inmates assisting with paving project on Creel Dr. in Lithia Springs.
Inmates assisting with paving project on Creel Dr. in Lithia Springs.
On Monday, July 10, 2017 an employee of the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, Carmel Biggers Jr., was arrested on three counts of sexual assault by a law enforcement officer on a person in custody. All three of these counts are felonies. This investigation is continuing and more charges may be forthcoming.
This investigation began as a result of information that was relayed to investigators with the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office. A preliminary investigation has identified three victims in this case. All three victims were inmates within the Douglas County Jail at the time of the suspected offenses at the same time Biggers was employed and working as a jailer within the Douglas County Jail. The names of the victims are not being released.
Carmel Biggers Jr., age 39 of Hiram, Georgia, has been an employee of the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office as a Jailer since December 2016. He was arrested on all three counts and has attended an appearance hearing on these charges. Bond has been set for $75,000 and he is still in custody. Based on the arrest, Biggers employment with Douglas County Sheriff’s Office has been terminated immediately.
Concerning the arrest, Douglas County Sheriff Tim Pounds stated; “This type of conduct by any person associated with Douglas County Sheriff’s Office is completely unacceptable and is an embarrassment to the department as well as the many exceptional men and woman that proudly wear this badge. This conduct will not be tolerated and will be dealt with appropriately.”
Users of the popular social media app Snapchat need to be aware of a new feature: Snap Maps. This feature was added as a way for users to connect with their friends offline. However, what users may not realize is that they will need to opt out of this feature by switching to “Ghost Mode.” While the map may seem like a great idea, it raises some security concerns.
The first is that not everyone online is honest about their real identity. This is true of any social media platform. Someone claiming to be a fourteen year old high school student could very easily be in their forties with less-than-honorable intentions. If that person is on Snapchat, and is on your child’s friends list, they can now see exactly where that child is whether they’re at home, school or some other location.
Another security concern is for survivors and victims of abuse and/or stalking. Abusers and/or stalkers can see exactly where their victim is which could put their safety and peace of mind in jeopardy. The same also goes for online bullying. Bullies can now find their victims where they live, go to school and hang out.
In order to disable the feature, you can select “Ghost Mode” on the map’s initial walkthrough. To turn the location off if already enabled:
Snapchat has more information about safely using their app at https://www.snapchat.com/safety
If you have any questions regarding social media in general, please contact Sgt. Jesse Hambrick at 770-577-5106 or jhambrick@sheriff.douglas.ga.us.
The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office and the Villa Rica Police Department are hosting a youth law enforcement summer camp on July 17th-21st from 8:30-3:00 for 5th thru 8th grade at Mirror Lake Elementary. Anyone wanting to sign their children up for this week-long camp can call Sgt. Jesse Hambrick at 770-577-5106.
Monday July 17, 2017 | ||
8:30-9:00 | Sign In and Welcome | Sheriff Pounds/ Chief Mansour |
9:00-9:30 | Team Building/Index Cards | Staff |
9:30-10:00 | Patrol Operations | VRPD/DCSO |
10:00-10:30 | Team Building | Staff |
10:30-10:45 | Break/Snacks | Staff |
10:45-11:00 | Games | Staff |
11:00-11:45 | DNR/Boat Safety | DNR |
11:45-12:30 | Snakes | J. Clark of Southeastern Reptile Rescue |
12:30-1:00 | Lunch | |
1:00-2:00 | Social Media | Sgt. Hambrick |
2:00-2:45 | K-9 Demo | DCSO/VRPD |
Tuesday, July 18, 2017 | ||
8:30-8:45 | Welcome | Staff |
8:45-9:00 | Games | Staff |
9:00-9:45 | Predator Awareness | Cpl. Moore |
9:45-10:00 | Team Building | Staff |
10:00-10:15 | Break/Snacks | Staff |
10:15-12:30 | Crime Scene | Sgt. Ashcraft DCSO |
12:30-1:00 | Lunch | |
1:00-2:00 | Drug Prevention | Sgt. Hambrick |
2:00-2:45 | Rollover Crash Simulator | Sgt. Ethredge |
Wednesday, July 19, 2017 | ||
8:30-8:45 | Welcome | Staff |
8:45-9:00 | Games | Staff |
9:00-10:00 | Bullying | Moore/Hambrick/Sullivan |
10:00-10:15 | Break/Snacks | Staff |
10:15-12:30 | “Get to Know Your Officers” | Bikes, Traffic, SERT, Jail |
12:30-1:00 | Lunch | |
1:00-2:00 | Pillow Case Project | GEMA |
2:00-2:45 | Celebrity Event |
Thursday, July 20, 2017 (Safety Day) Participants Wear Orange | ||
8:30-8:45 | Welcome | Staff |
8:45-11:45 | Pool Safety, Injury Awareness | Amanda Bryant |
Summer Safety, Alcohol Awareness | Douglas Co. CORE | |
11:45-12:30 | Fire Safety | |
12:30-1:00 | Lunch | |
1:00-1:45 | Operation Lifesaver | Phillip Baldwin |
1:45-2:00 | Break/Snacks | |
2:00-2:45 | Touch A Truck |
Friday, July 21, 2017 | ||
8:30-8:45 | Welcome | Staff |
8:45-9:00 | Games | Staff |
9:00-10:00 | Nutrition/Physical Fitness | Sgt. Ethredge |
10:00-10:15 | Break | |
10:15-12:30 | Gun Safety/Shooting Competition | P. Baxter/Carroll/ Horn |
12:30-1:00 | Lunch | |
1:00-2:30 | Social Media and other Safety Awareness for Parents | Sgt. Hambrick |
1:00-2:30 | Field Day for Kids | |
2:30-3:00 | Graduation |
Roads cleaned 323
County offices cleaned 42
Areas mowed 75
Tires collected 37
Mattresses collected 15
Total trash weight 35,860 Lbs.
The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office unveiled the new Polar Patrol during the Independence Day festivities. The idea for the ice cream truck was brought forward by one of our School Resource Officers, Deputy Mark Matthews. Other agencies, such as the Boston Police Department and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, have implemented similar programs aimed at positive law enforcement interactions.
The Polar Patrol truck was purchased with seized drug funds. The vinyl wrap for the truck and money for ice cream were donated by Extreme Images. The lights and labor for installation were donated by Metropolitan Communications who also donated money for ice cream. Telmate is another community partner who also made a donation for ice cream. If your business would like to donate, please contact Lt. Elmer Horn at 678-486-1200 or ehorn@sheriff.douglas.ga.us.
These pictures are of a truck that stole a trailer on July 1st at about 5:37 am from the Enterprise parking lot on Thornton Rd. The truck is believed to be silver in color Ford F150 with black rims. The black image on the passenger side door could possibly be a magnet. This vehicle is possibly in the Mableton or Thornton Rd area. Please contact Inv. Jamie Fowler at 770-920-4992 or jfowler@sheriff.douglas.ga.us if you can identify the truck and/or driver.
The S.C.O.R.P.I.O.N. Unit is a four person team comprised of three deputies and a Sergeant. Sheriff Pounds created the Scorpion unit to deploy into high crime areas of the county to show criminals he means business. The officers will be driving the most state-of-the-art patrol cars and will possess all the necessary equipment and training to accomplish their objective. Their first assignment is the Thornton Road area. In their first month, the unit made 40 arrests: 19 misdemeanors and 21 felonies.