by Kay Stephenson
Recently
there has been some chatter in the neighborhood that our private security
patrol, (FBAC for Fight Back Against Crime) is not visible enough. Some
residents feel they don’t know the officers and don’t understand what the
patrol does. Over the next few months we
will be publishing more information about the program, answering questions, and
sharing results of our recent survey.
On a
lighter note, we will also be publishing short interviews with each member of
the patrol so that we can all know these officers when we see them on the
street, and perhaps feel more comfortable approaching them or calling them for
assistance. We begin with the profile of Sergeant Chris Clark.
Sgt. Clark is the head of our
patrol. He recruits the officers who work for us, sets the schedule, monitors
crime reports and trends, and makes assignments for what activities will be
pursued during each shift. In addition to working full time for the Atlanta
Police Department, and part time with FBAC,

Chris has
been a part of the Virginia Highland community for over 20 years, and some may
be familiar with the courageous stance he has taken on medical marijuana (See
the WSBTV story from last year here.
I’ve known
Chris for a good while, but there were still things I didn’t know about him.
Last week he answered my questions.
Where did you grow up?
I was
raised in Lakeland Florida which is in between Tampa and Orlando. There were Orange Groves and Cattle all
around. Most folks do not know that
Florida is huge cattle country and both my grandfathers owned cattle.
Where did you go to school?
I went to
college in the military and attended schools in different cities where my duty
stations were located.
How long have you been a Police
Officer?
I have
been with the Atlanta Police Department for 28 years and have worked in various
assignments to include patrol in Zone 6 and several units in the Detective
Division.
Have you always worked for the
Atlanta Police Department? If Not, where else have you worked?
Besides my
stint in the United States Navy, I have always worked for APD.
How long have you been part of
FBAC?
I have
been part of FBAC in the Virginia Highland Neighborhood for over 20 years when
Beth Marks, one of your neighbors, started the off-duty patrol.
Are you married? Do you have
children? Pets?
I have
been married to my wonderful wife 16 years and have two of the best boys any
father could ask for. I also have two
horses that are part of our family as well.
What is the best thing about being
a police officer?
I have
many answers for this question, but I will give you the one most important to
me. I have always enjoyed meeting so
many different people over the years and a lot of them have become long time
good friends. We have the advantage to
encounter many people in our job and I would not trade that benefit for
anything.
Have you got a safety tip you would
like to share with FBAC Members?
Always
mind your surroundings! It’s easy to get
distracted in this life but try not to get tunnel vision and pay attention to
what is going on around you.
If you weren’t a police officer,
what career would you have liked to pursue?
Cattle
Rancher
No comments:
Post a Comment
Comments will be posted after moderation.