JUST IN: DeKalb public safety director to be interim police chief

DeKalb County’s public safety director will take over as the department’s interim police chief until a permanent replacement is hired, the county announced Tuesday.

Joseph “Jack” Lumpkin is currently DeKalb’s deputy chief operating officer of public safety. He is taking over for James Conroy, whose retirement from the DeKalb County Police Department was effective Tuesday. He announced his retirement in February.

The county did not say when it expects to hire a permanent chief, though officials are currently interviewing candidates. When Conroy announced he was leaving, the county said it would do a “nationwide” search for his replacement.

The job posting for police chief stated that the salary range is between $135,249 and $209,637. Preferred applicants would have at least 12 years of experience in the field, with five years of senior management experience.

Lumpkin joined the county last year to take over public safety duties. He was previously the chief of the Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police Department from 2014 to 2018. He's also been chief in Toccoa, Albany and Athens-Clark County and has more than 40 years of law enforcement experience.

Conroy was police chief since December 2013, serving in several different leadership posts. He told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution earlier this year that he had no firm plans after leaving the department, but hoped to spend more time with his family.