DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — DeKalb County Police Chief Mirtha Ramos says she was given two choices: resign or face termination.
Ramos sat down with Channel 2 investigative reporter Mark Winne and said she wants to clear up the mystery surrounding stepping away from her duties.
She said she’s accomplished a lot in her 5 years in DeKalb County but wants most of the credit to go to the exceptional officers who work to keep the county safe even as their numbers decline.
She also told Winne that important crime numbers have declined too.
“I was given 21 days to make a decision if I wanted to resign and during those 21 days I will be on administrative leave,” Ramos said.
“And if you don’t resign?” Winne asked Ramos.
“If I don’t resign, they’ll terminate me,” Ramos said. “I want people to know that I didn’t just step down voluntarily. I would not have just left without saying goodbye to our community and our officers.
“Does administrative leave connote that you did something wrong?” Winne asked Ramos.
“It certainly feels like it,” Ramos said.
“Did you?” Winne asked Ramos.
“I didn’t do anything wrong,” she said. “If I’ve made mistakes, they were certainly unintentional. But I think I’ve done really good work over the course of the last five years, and I think we’re starting to see the results.”
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“Is it surprising a new county CEO would want her own person as chief?” Winne asked Ramos.”
“No, it’s not surprising. I mean she has every right to choose whoever she would like to be in this position,” Ramos said.
“Have you been locked out of your county email now?” Winne asked Ramos.
“Yes,” she said.
Ramos said she found out on Wednesday that she would no longer perform the duties of DeKalb Police Chief, a post she’d had since 2019.
She said she met with County officials, and it took about five minutes.
Now, her chief concerns include clearing her name and letting DeKalb police officers and the community know she appreciates them.
“I felt like I would be here at least another year because we’ve been planting seeds for the last five years, starting now to see those flowers grow, and I really wanted to be here to watch them flourish,” Ramos said.
Last year, overall crime dropped in DeKalb, as it did in a number of cities, with 13% drops in DeKalb for both violent crimes and property crimes compared to 2023.
However, there was a 4% increase in rapes and a 2% increase in homicides.
But this year, as of February 16, homicides have been down roughly 77% compared to approximately the same period last year.
“Year to date, we’ve only experienced five homicides in DeKalb County,” Ramos said.
“What was your reaction to the pay and benefits enhancements the new CEO talked about?” Winne asked Ramos.
“I was ecstatic. I was actually emotional when I heard about it because they were finally getting what they deserved. There were a lot of retention incentives that will be helpful,” Ramos said.
Ramos acknowledged DeKalb police officer manpower has dropped to 527, the lowest in many years, roughly 300 under the budgeted number.
But she said since 2014, roughly five years before her arrival, the number of DeKalb officers has dropped every year except 2019, the year she took the job, and the next year.
During a news conference on Thursday, DeKalb CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson was asked about Ramos being put on leave.
“I have no comment on her leadership. You know, we can check the record,” Cochran-Johnson said.
“Did you fail to retain popularity with the rank-and-file officers?” Winne asked Ramos.
“I think it went in waves. Because part of my job was to come in and make things better which means I didn’t come in and maintain status quo. I needed to come in and make changes,” Ramos said. “I don’t do what I do to be popular.”
“What sustains you during this tough period?” Winne asked Ramos.
“Faith. I have faith that I will be directed to where I need to go. I have faith that I have done everything that I could for this department,” Ramos said. “I lived and breathed for this department for five years.”
Ramos said her most significant accomplishment was her community engagement, which was recognized in a report by a national organization, and she said her recommendation of triple overtime to then-CEO Michael Thurmond, which he backed, played a key role in having enough officers on the street as the department has dealt with a manpower shortage.
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