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

Traffic Safety

BWC: N.Y. State Police trooper struck after driver blows through stop sign

Trooper Bailey Martin was outside her cruiser when an SUV attempted to make a right turn at high speed; the driver missed the turn and crashed into Martin and her cruiser

February 25, 2026 11:24 AM

 · 

Joanna Putman

Officer-Involved Shootings

‘Our officer’s a hero': Off-duty Texas officer fatally shoots gunman in barbershop

A man armed with a gun entered a barbershop and began shooting at customers and employees; he was fatally shot by an off-duty Austin Police officer

February 23, 2026 04:11 PM

 · 

Joanna Putman

Arrests and Sentencing

Woman arrested for crashing stolen ambulance into building housing DHS office

Meridian police say the woman faces federal charges for the attempted destruction of a federal property by fire

February 24, 2026 12:08 PM

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.