Retired Atlanta cop runs youth program out of local barbershops to strengthen community ties

By Joanna Putman
Police1

ATLANTA — A program started by a retired cop is working to reduce crime by bringing police and at-risk kids together in barbershops, CBS News reported.

Trending

Officer Down

Suspect who fatally shot Mo. deputy during traffic stop kills second deputy in shootout

The man went on the run after killing a Christian County deputy; when he was located by law enforcement, he opened fire, killing another deputy and igniting the shootout that led to his own death

February 24, 2026 10:22 AM

Officer Down

N.C. trooper killed in single-vehicle crash on duty

Master Trooper Stien Davis had served with the North Carolina Highway Patrol for more than 10 years; he was assigned to Troop B, District 7 in Robeson County

February 23, 2026 08:38 AM

 · 

Joanna Putman

Investigations

Suspect at large after crashing stolen ambulance covered in accelerant into building housing DHS office space

Meridian, Idaho Police officials stated that the suspect was interrupted before he was able to light the accelerant and set the building ablaze

February 23, 2026 09:48 AM

Leadership Institute

Nev. sheriff unveils ‘AI brain’

The Knowledge Value Network Project will interconnect the agency’s technology system to ensure that information “flows smoothly, securely, and intelligently,” said Clark County Sheriff Kevin McMahill

February 23, 2026 11:04 AM

Tyrone Dennis started the nonprofit organization Clippers and Cops in 2018 after serving in Atlanta’s gang unit for 10 years, according to the report.

“We can’t arrest our way out of some of these problems. We can’t keep doing the same things. And that’s basically what Clippers and Cops is, something different,” Dennis told CBS. “We’re not saying it’s an end-all, but it’s what we’ve decided to do to try to make change.”

Dennis explained that they discuss topics such as decision-making, goal setting, traffic stops and prison, aiming to improve interactions between youth and law enforcement. The organization operates not only in barbershops but also in classrooms, having visited over 50 schools in Georgia, Missouri and Tennessee, according to the report.

Programs like Clippers and Cops aim to enhance trust and foster a sense of community, and can reduce crime by up to 22%, according to the Atlanta Police Department.

“This is what kids need to see, people who look like me, can do, will do, and are willing to do for me,” Ingrid Simone, a participant in Clippers and Cops, told CBS.