Community Comes Together to Address Public Safety

City and county officials point out ways they are working to increase residents’ safety.

Some unfortunate incidents this year have Peachtree Corners residents, government officials, visitors, business owners and other stakeholders wondering what needs to be done to decrease crime and keep people safe.

Several people are asking if it’s time for Peachtree Corners to follow the example of nearby cities such as Dunwoody and Johns Creek and create its own police force. Currently, police services for the city are outsourced to Gwinnett County Police.

In reaction, City Councilman Eric Christ presented facts to residents through his newsletter and asked for their input about improving safety measures in the city.

“In my opinion, public safety is the most important responsibility of any elected official and particularly for local government officials. I’ve been focusing on this issue and want to sure with you some of my findings and next steps,” Christ wrote.

Contrary to popular opinion, crime isn’t at its highest level right now, according to data provided by Gwinnett County Police.

“Prior to the pandemic, we were averaging about 100 serious crime incidents per month in Peachtree Corners. Since July 2020, that has dropped to 60 incidents on average. There was a rise in 2021 to about 75 per month but it returned to that 60 average rate by mid-2022,” Christ wrote.

And although the homicide at the QT on Peachtree Industry and the one near Norcross High were perceived as part of a trend, there hadn’t been a murder in Peachtree Corners since May 2021.

The data Christ obtained from police show that the total murders since 2017 is 14, with none in 2018 and highs of four each in 2019 and 2021. Of course, one violent death is one too many. Although police forces across the country are all dealing with the same staffing and resource issues, citizens don’t want to hear excuses.

Typically, we have to respond after these events happen, but what we’re seeing is more and more students, parents and community members are reporting these things to us before they happen, which is allowing us to deal with them.

BERNARD WATSON

Technology extends the long arm of the law

As a main branch of Silicon Orchard, Peachtree Corners is looking to technology to help make the most of the manpower it has. License plate reader cameras have been online for a while now and have assisted police with street takeovers, stolen vehicles and other crimes.

In the spring, an effort among several Gwinnett County agencies thwarted a large takeover which resulted in 88 arrests. Responding to the intersection of Peachtree Corners Circle and Spalding Drive on May 1, officers blocked 26 vehicles. Gwinnett County Police and officers from nearby Norcross and Lilburn, as well as off-duty officers from surrounding areas, were on hand to lend assistance.

When the smoke cleared, 68 adults and 20 juveniles were taken into custody. The cars were impounded, and five handguns were found. Nobody was hurt, but a pizza delivery driver who got caught in the middle of the madness had his car’s windows broken.

The combination of technology and good policing is further enhanced with a system to allow police to access businesses’ security cameras to catch wrong doers in real time. Cameras at The Forum, Town Center and other major commercial areas are allowing Gwinnett Police to keep up with potential criminal activity.

Soon, private citizens will have the opportunity to register their security cameras with police to access video after the fact to help solve crimes. In that sense, it really does take a village to keep us all safe.

Schools take safety seriously

The school district also embraces the concept of one for all and all for one in its approach to safety.

“It is unfortunate that a young man lost his life in a senseless example of violence,” said
Bernard Watson, a spokesman for Gwinnett County Public Schools. “Our superintendent, Dr. Watts, has been very clear about this, from the very beginning. School districts around the country, not just ours, are seeing an uptick in violence and fights and weapons being brought into school.”

After the year and half of virtual learning that many students experienced during the pandemic, it’s not too surprising that social interaction has taken a negative turn.

“When we don’t have that connection with one another, when we’re separated, we have problems. And we’re seeing the effects of the pandemic in our students,” said Watson. “It’s also very clear that these problems are starting in the community and they’re spilling into our schools.”

That’s why GCPS actively works with Gwinnett Police and the other local municipal law enforcement agencies to keep student safety at the forefront. Budget allocations for more mental health professionals and social workers in schools will also help turn the tide.

School officials and law enforcement rely on everyone to make it work. Gwinnett Schools has a hotline that allows anyone to alert officials about mischief or out-and-out mayhem in the works. Of course, the public never knows about the incidents that don’t happen, but officials don’t mind that.

“Although these acts of violence and these threats have been disruptive, …it’s also been positive that we’ve been alerted to these threats …by students and people in the community,” said Watson. “They’re our best resource when it comes to preventing incidents of violence in our schools.”

He added that students, families and the community are strongly encouraged to say something if they see something. “Typically, we have to respond after these events happen, but what we’re seeing is more and more students, parents and community members are reporting these things to us before they happen, which is allowing us to deal with them,” he continued. “But we still need more help. We need additional help from the community.”

City officials agree. With the county expected to double in population in the next 20 years, every security measure is constantly being evaluated.

In his newsletter, Christ pointed out that the city has been looking at ways to incentivize police officers to live in Peachtree Corners with rent subsidies. He also is talking to legislators about ways to keep guns out of the hands of criminals.

Like all elected officials he’s also asking constituents for their opinions.