DeKalb County has announced the retirement of Joseph H. “Jack” Lumpkin, Sr., who has served as Deputy Chief Operating Officer and Director of Public Safety since January 2018. Lumpkin will step down from his position on December 31, 2025, and will assist with transition efforts through February 2026. The county is expected to announce transition plans in the coming weeks.
CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson commented on Lumpkin’s impact, stating, “Director Lumpkin has elevated the standard for public safety in DeKalb County. His leadership, grounded in integrity, accountability, and innovation, has strengthened our departments, improved trust with the community, and positioned DeKalb as a model for modern, transparent, and responsive public safety operations.”
During his tenure as Deputy COO, Lumpkin oversaw improvements across all public safety departments in DeKalb County. He worked to remove systemic barriers and implement best practices within agencies such as the Police Department, Fire Rescue Department, 911 Communications, Emergency Management Agency, Medical Examiner’s Office, and Animal Services.
Some notable outcomes under Lumpkin’s leadership include reversing a five-year trend of annual sworn officer loss by implementing a police pay and incentive package that resulted in a 106% increase in applications and a 31% rise in police hires. He also advocated for the Real Time Crime Center’s approval and construction. The Fire Rescue Department saw its Insurance Services Office (ISO) rating improve to place it among the top three percent of fire departments nationally. Attrition at Animal Services dropped from over 47% to less than 14%. The Medical Examiner’s Office achieved greater transparency and accountability in forensic services.
Before joining DeKalb County, Lumpkin was Chief of Police for Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police Department. He has been involved with several national law enforcement organizations including serving on the Board of Directors for the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), acting as Regional Vice President for the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE), and participating in other groups such as PERF and Georgia Governor’s Criminal Justice Coordinating Council.
Lumpkin holds credentials from Leadership Georgia, FBI National Academy, FBI Executive Leadership Institute, Southern Police Institute’s Administrative Officers Course, Georgia Command College and more.
Reflecting on his service to DeKalb County residents and colleagues upon his retirement announcement, Lumpkin said: “It has been an honor and privilege to serve the residents of DeKalb County and to work alongside the dedicated men and women who protect and support this community each day. I am deeply proud of the progress we achieved together and grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the County’s long-standing commitment to public safety excellence.”
In related developments within DeKalb County schools during recent years: student enrollment dropped by 2.2% between the 2021-22 and 2022-23 school years according to state data (https://www.gadoe.org/). Total enrollment reached 98,287 students during that period (https://www.gadoe.org/), with white students comprising about 14% of the student body (https://www.gadoe.org/).
