The weather is turning colder and fall has arrived. The holidays are just around the corner and we are working hard to make the upcoming seasons fun and safe for everyone.

We continue to see a reduction in most crimes during 2012 compared to 2011. I am hopeful that this trend will continue as we head into the holiday season. I will give more details in the December column. We are working hard with preventative measures and to educate our citizens on how to be safe as well as vigilant.

To that end, officers assigned to Community Outreach were traveling throughout the city presenting robbery prevention seminars to members of local businesses this past week. This is a program we will continue to present through the end of the year to provide information and help keep you safe. This program will also be made available to citizens. For more information or questions about the robbery prevention seminars, neighborhood watch programs, safe citizen programs, and senior citizen safety tips, please contact Sergeant Peggy Dunn at (678) 374-5603 or email peggy.dunn@conyersga.gov.

The city will experience several fall events over the next few weeks including road races, bike rides, car shows and Halloween events. Please support these community activities. Also, remember to use caution while driving and be mindful of the possibility of pedestrian activity during these times.

Recently, I received a letter from a citizen commending Cpl. Corey Hambrick for saving his life. A review of the incident resulted in the decision to present Cpl. Hambrick with the lifesaving award. Congratulations to Cpl. Hambrick for quick actions and a great job.

I would also like to congratulate Investigative Aid Christina Coppock on five years of service and Senior Probation Officer Theresa Williams on 25 years of service. These are milestone accomplishments and I am very proud of both of these individuals.

The community lost a fine person on Oct. 12, when Tony Parker passed away. Tony, whom I knew as Mike, was my assistant chief at the MARTA Police Department. He was very active in the community. Tony will be remembered as a fine father, husband, grandfather, a great cop and a genuine man of integrity. I am glad to say he was my friend.