Tucker considers forming its own police department amid calls for more local control

The City of Tucker is weighing the possibility of launching its own police force, a move supporters say could increase patrols and improve response times as the city continues to grow. Currently, Tucker is policed by the DeKalb County Police Department, but a recent uptick in local crime has some business owners and community leaders pushing for change.

Business owners like Danya Smith, who runs Hair Per Se Salon Studio, say they've noticed the need for more frequent police presence in Tucker. Smith recalls a recent burglary at a business across the street, which went unnoticed for days after thieves broke in and caused significant property damage.

"Just right across the parking lot from us, some people broke in. They ended up stealing the copper out. The pipes busted during the cold. And it was probably three or four days that the water had been running over there before anybody was even notified," Smith said.

While Smith credits DeKalb County officers with responding quickly and thoroughly once they learned of the break-in, she believes increased local patrols might have prevented it altogether. "They've been all over it as far as checking cameras and finding out who did it. But just a little bit more presence maybe would have stopped it, prevented it altogether," she added.

Smith's client, Tucker resident Melissa Goehner, echoed her concerns. "I've never had any issues with myself being down here. But I am here a lot. And I think the more police presence, the better," Goehner said, supporting the idea of Tucker forming its own department as the city grows.

Matthew Lee, Executive Director of the Tucker-Northlake Community Improvement District (CID), says the group commissioned a study last September to explore the feasibility of a city-run police force. According to the study, it would cost approximately $10 million to launch a Tucker police department—a significant investment for the city.

Lee emphasized that the CID isn't advocating for or against the creation of a Tucker police department. The study was prompted by frequent complaints of business break-ins and aimed to give the community data to inform the conversation. "We really needed to dig into the numbers and find out what was going on, what were other areas experiencing. And we felt it was irresponsible not to dig into these questions on behalf of the business community," Lee said.

For now, there are no formal plans for Tucker City Hall to debate the formation of a city police force. 

DeKalb County Police and local officials are continuing to engage with the CID and Tucker residents to assess the community's needs and determine the best path forward.

CBS Atlanta reached out to the DeKalb County Police for comment. They responded:

"The DeKalb County Police Department remains fully committed to providing high-quality, responsive police services in the City of Tucker and across DeKalb County. Over the past year, the department increased sworn staffing by approximately nine percent and maintained a 91 percent retention rate, reflecting a strong recruitment and retention strategy designed to expand patrol capacity, improve response times, and strengthen proactive crime-prevention efforts.

The County has also made significant investments in modern public-safety infrastructure, including the development of a State of the Art Real Time Crime Center to enhance situational awareness, investigative efficiency, and coordinated responses to emerging incidents. In addition, our department maintains specialized units and countywide special-operations capabilities that support complex incidents, major events, and violent-crime reduction efforts. Resources that typically require years to build and sustain and would not immediately be available to a newly created agency.

Decisions regarding the formation of a municipal police department are policy matters for elected officials and city leadership to consider. From an operational standpoint, our focus remains on delivering effective service today while continuing to grow and modernize to meet the evolving public-safety needs of the city of Tucker residents and businesses."