DeKALB – Carl Leoni retired this month after 33 years as a DeKalb police officer, but he’s still on the front lines of community policing.

This time, he is doing it as DeKalb’s crime-free housing and inspections coordinator – a new position created by the city to implement the housing rules the City Council passed in October.

“I enjoy the aspect of helping people. I enjoy the aspect of fighting crime,” said Leoni, who held the rank of patrol lieutenant and operations commander when he retired. “I saw this as a way to ease out of police work. I did it for 33 years, pretty much my whole adult life, and it’s hard to give it up. “