Lt. Orlando D. Isom – Biography

Lt. Orlando D. Isom runs the O4W Patrol. Lt. Isom is a veteran of the Atlanta Police Department (APD), who is retired but on the equivalent of the APD “Reserves”. His experience and connections within APD are critical to the success of our patrol. Lt. Isom has all of the arrest and other police powers that active APD officers have and is armed when on duty.

Lt. Isom started his career in law enforcement as a member of the Atlanta Police Department (APD) on August 30, 1985. He began his APD career in Zone 3 assigned to the Capitol Homes area. In 1987, he transferred to Zone 5 and patrolled the Auburn Avenue district and the Techwood Homes area. As he was often assigned to areas owned by the Atlanta Housing Authority (AHA), he frequently made “Quality of Life” arrests (pandering, loitering, drinking in public, prostitution and drug offenses) among other types of arrests. In 1991, he transferred to the SOS/Motorcycle Unit and worked in this assignment as a motorcycle officer and crime analyst. In this role he was responsible for analyzing zone crime data and traffic complaints in order to designate directed patrol.

In 2001, he was promoted to Sergeant, and assigned to Zone 5/CNN, Auburn Avenue precinct, and Zone 4. In 2003, he was re-assigned to SOS/Adm. and served as the Special Events coordinator, which was responsible for approving the security plans for all festivals, road races, parades, marches, and protests inside the city. In 2005, he was promoted to Lieutenant, and served as a unit commander in Zone 1. In this role he was responsible for decreasing crime in the Vine City and English Avenue communities and also established a direct dialogue with concerned citizens. In 2006, he was assigned to the SOS Motorcycle Division and coordinated the security details for several dignitaries including President Carter, President H. W. Bush, President William Jefferson Clinton, President George W. Bush Jr., Presidential candidate Barak Obama, and others. He also regularly managed the coordination of officers for special events and emergency situations.

In 2008 Lt. Isom retired from the city of Atlanta after 23 years of exemplary service. Today he remains an active member of the Atlanta Police Reserve Program. This unit consists of retired officers that assist the city in many different facets. Officers maintain their P.O.S.T. (Peace Officers Standard Training) certification through the city of Atlanta which authorizes its members to have arrest powers and carry firearms after completing 24 hours of training annually. Currently, he is the owner of Isom Motor Escort Group, which coordinates funeral escorts and the movement of construction equipment with the utilization of off-duty Atlanta Police Officers.

Lt. Isom received his B.A. degree in Business Administration/Management from Clark Atlanta University in 1985.