I live in Smyrna, Ga.
How do you rank the PD in the area?
Smyrna
Cobb
Marietta
Kennesaw
Atlanta
Mableton
I've never had an official interaction with any of the PDs around here.
They are visible.
Most of them I can only rank by the people that I know in the departments except for Atlanta, Roswell, and Alpharetta.
The people I know at Cobb would lead me to believe they have an all around decent PD. One guy I know with them, officer Barnett, is one of the best examples of a police officer that I know. He has a lot of friends at the department just like him. All of them are great. Of course, they also have a good number of less than motivated cops there. That's almost always the case though.
Marietta is only ok. They're about 60% good guys 40% powertripping wannabes who would crap their pants in a real "I'm out to kill you" situation.
Mableton and Smyrna I haven't had experience with.
Kennesaw is an interesting mix. Most of the guys I've met that work for Kennesaw I have literally had to ask, "why are you a police officer?" The answer ranges widely.
Atlanta cops tend to be a little more on the serious side, meaning they really want to stop real crime and aren't quite as concerned with those kids smoking pot outside Masquerade before the show starts. I've been pulled over by them and stopped by them at drunk roadblocks and they're always very cool.
I know a couple of really good guys with Gwinnett County that are awesome.
Cherokee County is decent for the most part. They have a couple of police officers that definitely do not need to have a badge. They're lead by a good man though. The head hancho over there has been a friend of mine since I was 13.
Alpharetta is by far the best department around that I know of based on the people I know there and the experiences I've had with them. It takes a LOT to get hired on with them so everyone who is there you know is determined and motivated. Even after i get done with all my stuff to get in there, I doubt they'll have a spot for me in the near future. Most of the people I've talked to said that they've had to wait for between one and two years to get in. It's well worth it though. Not only are the people around you hardcore and GOOD cops, but it also says something about you when you have their uniform on. To everyone whose opinions matter to you concerning the job, you have done very well and have proven yourself. Not only are you looking at other officers and thinking, "man, these guys are great cops", but they are looking at you with the same respect and saying the same thing. Granted as with every department, you have one or two that somehow snuck in before the standards went through the roof, but they stay in line for fear of making the others look bad and being burned at the stake for it.
Roswell has a good side and a bad side. It's good guys are really serious cops that are motivated and work hard. The other side are lazy bastards who are hiding somewhere and are the last to show up to a call, hoping to avoid any sort of confrontation that might get them smacked in the face or actually put them in some kind of danger. Their area and department is big enough that they have to hire a lot of people and hope that they all perform. They usually pick good ones about 60-75% of the time. Some start out good and turn out bad. Some were never good from the beginning and don't care about anything but the power and the paycheck. The good ones make the difference though. They work what can be a pretty rough area and respond to some really serious stuff that everyone prays they'll never have to be involved in. They're tough guys and good cops.
Forsyth County I haven't had much experience with. From what I understand, they are a pretty good group. Most of them know how to scrap. There's a whole lot of drunken redneck fights out there that have to be broken up and the country and methlabs go together hand in hand. I've been pulled over by a Forsyth County boy before and one thing I'll say is that he was by far one of the more "I don't want to give you a ticket, but you broke the law and we both know it, so I have to and I hope you understand and don't hate me for it" kind of cops. They do their job there. Plain and simple. You break the law. They enforce the law. Good guys though.
Generally in this area of Georgia, you have good police departments. In every department, you'll find good guys who want to be a police officer for the right reasons and they stand up for what they belive in the best way they know how, by serving their community and trying to make home a better place. You'll also find people who are cops as their job description outlines, but don't have their heart in it and and are just trying to get a paycheck and a discount on their meal, or who use the title and shield for the wrong reasons and should not have their position. You'll know who is who.
Remember - Work Hard/Pray Hard & all will work out for the best 
