Residents and shoppers who come to Buckhead will soon see additional patrol officers thanks to a privately funded initiative aimed at deterring crime and boosting police visibility.
The Buckhead Safety Alliance on Monday announced plans to hire off-duty Atlanta police officers to patrol five bustling commercial corridors around Buckhead.
With three police cruisers donated by the Atlanta Police Foundation, the goal is to create quicker response times while deterring vehicle break-ins and thefts in busy shopping districts, community leaders said. The new patrols were formed following a recommendation from the Buckhead Public Safety Task Force and will cost an estimated $570,000 to staff annually.
As of Monday, the safety alliance had raised $450,000 in donations in addition to the patrol cars. That will fund off-duty officers through the end of the year as leaders work to raise more money for additional patrols going forward.
City leaders say similar privately-funded efforts have proven effective at reducing crime in Buckhead’s residential areas and inside the booming Buckhead Community Improvement District.
“The neighborhoods in Buckhead for the past two decades have had security patrols in their neighborhoods and that has been an effective deterrent to crime,” Atlanta City Councilwoman Mary Norwood said. “These security patrols will make us safer in Buckhead, for our residents and our visitors.”
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
Crime in Buckhead has long been a concern, prompting some residents within the wealthy district to try to break away from Atlanta and create a new city. Those efforts have been thwarted in the State Legislature the past two sessions, however.
Police department officials noted Monday that crime in Atlanta’s Zone 2 is down for the second consecutive year, and that crimes against persons are down 25% city-wide since 2022.
After a spike in homicides across Atlanta over the past three and a half years, killings are down 40% in 2023, said Atlanta police Chief Darin Schierbaum. At this rate, the year’s homicide tally could come in below pre-pandemic levels.
Schierbaum said the off-duty officers will assist Buckhead’s residents and visitors, respond to 911 calls quicker and take a proactive approach to “addressing criminal behavior where it may arise.”
“When we have crime reduction, it is the whole city fighting crime,” Schierbaum said. The chief attributed the recent drop in crime to Atlanta’s camera integration network, community support and an “intelligence-driven” model of policing that targets guns, drugs and gangs on city streets.
Maj. Ailen Mitchell, the Zone 2 commander, also credited community partnerships with helping to reduce crime in Buckhead two years in a row.
“I’m glad that we won the crime-reduction award for the last two years, but there’s still work to be done,” Mitchell said.
The five heavily-traveled corridors that will see increased patrols include:
· Howell Mill from Collier Road south to I-75
· Northside Parkway north from Moores Mill to the Atlanta city limit
· Peachtree Road south from Pharr Road to Brookwood Station
· Roswell Road north from East Andrews Drive to the Atlanta city limit
· Piedmont Road south from Pharr Road to I-85.
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
Each of three patrol vehicles will come with a dedicated cellphone number that nearby business can call if they need a quick response, said Debra Wathen, who chairs the Buckhead Council of Neighborhoods and heads the Buckhead Safety Alliance.
“If the need arises, the member can call 911 and then the patrol car directly for immediate assistance,” she said. “The goal is to expand the resources of greatest need and restore a sense of safety in Buckhead. These patrols will be nearby when we’re out shopping, dining, working and going about our day.”
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