City Government

The Crime Free Multi-Housing Program:
What is it and how does Peachtree Corners participate?

Published

3 years ago

October 18, 2022

Peachtree Corners Magazine staff

Over the past few years, Peachtree Corners has been working to enhance security throughout the city. These enhancements have included the installation of license plate reading cameras, enhanced security camera placement on city property, the creation of a police sub-station at Town Center, and increasing our partnership with the Gwinnett County Police Department.

One of the programs that the City participates in with the GCPD is the Crime Free Multi-Housing Program (CFMHP). This free program, implemented by GCPD in 2012, is offered in partnership with the GCPD to property owners, property managers, residents, and law enforcement personnel to work towards the elimination of crime in multi-family properties.

The City believes so much in this program, that participation in the CFMPH is included as a zoning condition for all new multi-family and mixed-use developments. While there are some older complexes that predate implementation of the program, the City, in partnership with GCPD, continues to encourage those properties to participate.

The CFMHP has a goal of reducing the number of violent crimes and calls-for-service in multi-family properties. The three-part program is designed to be easy and effective in reducing the incidence of crime on rental properties while maintaining a tenant-friendly approach.

The phases of the program are a required seminar, certification of a property’s safety controls, and an introduction of the program to the tenants via community awareness training.

For the first phase, an 8-hour seminar is presented by GCPD to property owners, managers, and in some cases residents. The seminar includes such topics as crime prevention theory, the benefits of resident screening, lease agreements and eviction issues, working smarter with police, fire, and life safety training, and community awareness. Additionally, the seminar covers issues relating to gangs, drug activity, and crime prevention.

Following the seminar, the rental property must complete a Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design Survey (CPTED). This survey will allow GCPD to determine and certify that a rental property has met all the requirements for tenant safety. Requirements that must be met include compliance with the following:

■ Minimum door, window, and lock standards
■ Minimum exterior lighting standards
■ Key Control procedures
■ Landscape maintenance standards

Following the certification of the property, GCPD offers the final phase of the program, which is the introduction of the program to the tenants through community awareness training. The completion of this phase allows for full certification and permits the location to include signage of completion of the program on the property, grants management use of the program’s logo on advertisements, and lists the property as certified on the GCPD CFMHP webpage.

After a property is fully certified, a multi-unit family development must host one safety-related crime prevention meeting with the residents per year to maintain their active membership in the Crime Free Multi-Housing program. This certificate expires every 18 months unless it is renewed following compliance with Phases I and II.

Participation in the program offers many benefits to multi-family developments. In some properties where the Crime Free Multi-Housing Program has been implemented, there has been a reduction in crime of up to 70 percent. Additionally, the program increases safety, helps to lower maintenance and repair costs, increases property values, and provides for a stable and more satisfied tenant base. This in turn leads to an increased demand for rental units within the development by improving the reputation of the complex.

We are all aware that when the rate of crime increases in any area, neighborhoods suffer, and landlords, tenants, and our City pay a high price. High rates of crime lead to a large decline in property values, increased incidents of property damage, potential civil penalties on property owners, loss of valued residents, and increased resentment and anger between neighbors and property managers.

As we continue to move into the future, the City will continue to focus on the health and safety of our residents and businesses. We are currently working on additional partnerships and programs that will help publicize that crime and criminals have no place in Peachtree Corners.

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City Government

The Future of Law Enforcement in Peachtree Corners: Community Meeting

Published

2 weeks ago

April 14, 2025

Peachtree Corners Magazine staff

Flyer for a community meeting regarding law enforcement in Peachtree Corners.

The City of Peachtree Corners will hold an important public meeting on May 8 to discuss the future of law enforcement in our community — including the potential creation of a city police department.

This meeting will feature a presentation by City Manager Brian Johnson on the findings of a comprehensive Police Analysis & Staffing Study that evaluated the feasibility and projected costs of forming a city police department based on current workload, crime levels and community demographics.

The presentation will also include budgetary considerations, comparative models and the advantages and disadvantages of a county vs. city police department.

Following the presentation, there will be time for a Q&A and open dialogue.

In-person attendance is limited to 300. First come, first served. A livestream option will be available for those who can’t attend in person.

After the meeting, a follow-up survey will be available on the city’s project page.

Meeting details

The Future of Law Enforcement in Peachtree Corners

Date/Time: May 8, 2025 at 7 p.m.

Location: Christ the King Lutheran Church (5775 Peachtree Parkway)

For more information, visit peachtreecornersga.gov.

City Government

Councilmember Eric Christ: 2025 Peachtree Corners Municipal Elections

Published

2 months ago

March 3, 2025

Peachtree Corners Magazine staff

A white man with glasses, wearing a dark colored jacket walking in the road alongside a line of vintage cars.

Source: Peachtree Corners Post 2 Councilmember Eric Christ’s recent newsletter.

Peachtree Corners Municipal Elections Tuesday, November 4 in white font on a blue background.

On Tuesday, November 4, we will have municipal elections here in the City of Peachtree Corners for three council seats. [And] for the first time since 2013, there will be a state-wide election on the same day as our city general election.

The state-wide election is to fill two seats on the Public Service Commission, which regulates Georgia Power and other utilities.

For the PSC election, the Gwinnett County Board of Elections will have all 156 county precincts open on November 4. Historically, Peachtree Corners has had a single voting location for city elections — at City Hall.

If we do the same this year, citizens who want to vote in both the PSC and the City Council elections will need to go to two places to cast their ballots.

A few years ago, I convinced the County Board of Elections to remove their prohibition against the Gwinnett Elections Department managing city elections. (Every county surrounding Gwinnett already offered this service to their cities.)

This means there is the potential of adding our city council elections to the county ballot.

I would like to hear your thoughts on the pros and cons of combining our city council races with the county’s for this year’s elections.

Please complete my brief survey by clicking here.

To sign up for Councilmember Christ’s newsletter or find him on social media, visit linktr.ee/votechrist.

You can read more from his latest newsletter updates here and here.

City Government

City of Peachtree Corners Receives Distinguished Budget Presentation Award

Published

3 months ago

January 31, 2025

Peachtree Corners Magazine staff

For the eighth year in a row, the City of Peachtree Corners has been esteemed with the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award. This award was presented by the Georgia Finance Officers Association (GFOA) for the City’s Fiscal Year 2025 budget submission.

The award represents a significant achievement by the entity. It reflects the commitment of the governing body and staff to meeting the highest principles of governmental budgeting. To receive the budget award, the entity had to satisfy nationally recognized guidelines for effective budget presentation. These guidelines are designed to assess how well an entity’s budget serves as a:

policy document
financial plan
operations guide
communications device

Budget documents must be rated “proficient” in all four categories and in the fourteen mandatory criteria within those categories to receive the award.

Certificate of Recognition

When a Distinguished Budget Presentation Award is granted to an entity, a Certificate of Recognition for Budget Presentation is also presented to the individual(s) or department designated as being primarily responsible for having achieved the award.

“Congratulations to the entire finance team on receiving this award,” said City Manager Brian Johnson.

“This recognition is a testament to our team’s hard work, professionalism and commitment to excellence.”

There are over 1,700 participants in the Budget Awards Program. The most recent Budget Award recipients, along with their corresponding budget documents, are posted quarterly on GFOA’s website.

Award recipients have pioneered efforts to improve the quality of budgeting and provide an excellent example for other governments throughout North America.

About the GFOA

The Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) advances excellence in government finance by providing best practices, professional development, resources and practical research for more than 21,000 members and the communities they serve.

About the City of Peachtree Corners, Georgia

As the heart of what is being called #SiliconOrchard in the metro Atlanta region, Peachtree Corners is a vibrant municipality that’s home to more than 45,000 residents and an innovation hub that houses some of the world’s most disruptive technology companies.

As the United States’ premier smart city powered by real-world connected infrastructure and 5G, Peachtree Corners serves as the model for how government and private industry can better collaborate to create a better future for society and business.

From the world’s first deployment of teleoperated e-scooters to fully autonomous shuttles being utilized by actual residents, and from a solar roadway to the largest electric vehicle charging hub in the region, Peachtree Corners is where the most future-forward Internet of Things (IoT) and sustainable technologies come to life for the benefit of its people and the world.

For more information, visit peachtreecornersga.gov.