Public Safety
Peachtree Corners Explores New Kind of Law Enforcement
City Marshals may become a new hybrid between code enforcement and police officer.
The City of Peachtree Corners is growing its reputation as an incubator for smart technology. It is poised on the cutting edge of putting that genius to practical applications such as driverless shuttles and electric vehicle charging systems that may one day make it possible to drive from coast to coast without stopping to charge. However, the city is still in the shadow of recent violent crimes.
Several incidents this year have worried residents, government officials and city stakeholders that the quaint metro Atlanta bedroom community is becoming a target for murders and robberies. A man was shot and killed in the middle of a botched carjacking in July. In November, a Norcross High student was shot and killed in broad daylight near the school.
City leaders are testing and deploying smart technology, such as license plate readers and an extended video system using government, commercial business and home security cameras. Still, residents aren’t sure that’s enough.
The system has been scaled across the city and, to date, has helped recover more than $3 million in stolen property, and it has helped detectives solve multiple cases.
But some residents are asking to supplement the new-fangled stuff with some old-fashioned solutions such as employing a city police force. While that idea hasn’t been quashed entirely, the prohibitive costs make it somewhat unattractive in a city that assesses no personal property tax.
City considering marshals
Peachtree Corners isn’t looking at a crime wave of the magnitude the city of Atlanta faces every day. However, the most recent incidents, along with a rise in property crimes, is concerning. To address those concerns, the city is look at a compromise of sorts.
City Manager Brian Johnson recently spoke to Peachtree Corners Magazine during the Peachtree Corners Life podcast. He said the city is considering activating a city marshal system. Instead of a full-on police force, this could be a little different and still have the authority of the police.
“We have had some unfortunate incidents of late with deaths. There’s been some other crime and it’s not uncommon as we densify. As Metro Atlanta grows, Peachtree Corners is growing. And the more people you have in an area, there’s just more opportunities for bad actors,” said Johnson.
“So, there’s this unfortunate rise in these kinds of things. And, you know, property crime is still our main criminal activity type here, but we are just becoming more and more of a target for bad actors,” he said.
Johnson pointed out intersection takeovers. One of the most egregious happened around Easter Sunday.
“You’ve got these car clubs that are seizing control of an intersection and doing all sorts of dangerous things with automobiles,” Johnson said. “Even the failed carjacking that resulted in that death was a group of teens who specifically were targeting communities that had more affluence and better automobiles that they could do that slider crime where, you know, somebody’s pumping gas, or in this case, filling air in their tires not near the driver’s side, and they slide into the seat.”
He added that oftentimes, in those instances, the cars are still running, or the keys are left in the ignition.
Even with the increased crime-fighting efforts, there is the perception that crime has catapulted in a short span of time. But Johnson pointed out that the technology is working — especially the camera system.
“In the case of these two murders, our LPR [license plate recognition] cameras, the Fūsus network, …ended up being the method in which the police were able to identify the gunman — and find the gunman. So, they work,” said Johnson. “Unfortunately, they were used after a crime was committed. We’d like to do things to prevent it, but those are examples of what we’ve done so far.”
Gaps and potential solutions
The Peachtree City Council tasked Johnson with seeking out expert opinions of what other solutions may deter crime. Although Gwinnett County Police Department’s (GCPD) West Precinct is doing a good job with the resources it has, it is handcuffed with staffing shortages and the policy constraints that countywide police departments have.
“There are sometimes gaps in the ability to direct resources based on Peachtree Corners’ specific needs,” said Johnson.
The two considered options were to start up a Peachtree Corners Police Department, which would be redundant at times, based on the current service that Gwinnett PD provides when it does have the resources, or look for a different kind of law enforcement office.
“This gap is kind of between code enforcement officers, which are specifically oriented to enforcing local code and local code only, and law enforcement that’s enforcing state law,” Johnson explained. “There is a gap. The gap can be filled if we started up what we’re calling a City Marshal office, very similar to what Sugar Hill has.”
He noted that the positions would be filled by Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) certified officers.
“The intent here is to have some people who are able to fill this gap by the authority vested in their position. And be able to have them controlled by the city so that they can be directed in areas that might be really important to Peachtree Corners,” Johnson said.
A good example of how this would work is the Norcross High incident. The victim had been off campus during school hours.
“There is a truancy problem of students cutting class and cutting through the woods into the back of businesses that border Norcross High School,” he said. “Those businesses are being adversely affected. The shooting was an unfortunate result of it. But the truancy continues on with students trespassing and doing things like destroying property, dealing drugs, doing drugs.”
An internal city marshal would be a deterrent to crime and a service to the businesses, he added.
“I can tell the city marshal, ‘I want you to go out to the school and I want you to do a presence patrol during the hours where there are gaps in these kids’ schedules …I want you to be driving around the back of those businesses,’” said Johnson. “This will allow us to detain somebody until a Gwinnett Police Officer gets there to arrest them.”
At this point, it looks like there would be three city marshals, Johnson said. The marshals wouldn’t be needed 24/7, as Gwinnett Police would continue to provide the majority of police protection.
Need and benefits of city marshals
In his last newsletter for the year, City Councilman Alex Wright further clarified the need for city marshals and how the officers would fit into Peachtree Corners’ public safety plans.
Wright was quick to point out that despite perception, crime has decreased in Peachtree Corners. Robbery, commercial burglary, theft, entering autos and motor vehicle theft are all down this year from the same period last year.
And the cameras are working. According to the city’s crime report, they aided in recovering four stolen vehicles and apprehending two wanted people.
The concept isn’t new. Other Gwinnett County cities — Sugar Hill, Buford and Berkeley Lake — utilize city marshals.
Wright gave examples of situations that have created the need for the city marshal program.
The legal department at Gwinnett County has instructed the GCPD not to enforce city specific ordinances. An example of how this is a problem was when a large, loud party held in a residential neighborhood.
A resident called the police. The police showed up, but since the ordinance they were violating was a city-specific noise ordinance, the police had been instructed not to intervene. So, the party proceeded.
In this instance, a city marshal would be empowered to enforce the ordinance and, if necessary, issue orders to cease and even make arrests, with the same powers as a police officer. A code officer cannot do that.
Unruly behavior at the Town Center is another example. The off-duty police officer is not actively patrolling. He is sitting in his car — and the city has no authority to direct him.
A city marshal would be able to enforce city ordinances and keep the peace.
Although crime isn’t on the rise, and the Gwinnett County Police Department (GCPD) is fulfilling its role in fighting crime, the City of Peachtree Corners is asking residents, business owners and city stakeholders if they believe the city should form its own police department.
With over 100 people in attendance, City Manager Brian Johnson led the discussion about the future of policing in Peachtree Corners. He presented the findings from a survey conducted by the Center for Public Safety Management (CPSM), a nationally-recognized law enforcement consulting and training firm, as well as information about patrol officer staffing, response times, costs to tax payers and a potential timeline.
Ensuring public safety
Johnson kicked off his presentation by explaining that it is the duty of the mayor and city council to ensure public safety, including reviewing law enforcement.
“Maybe it needs to grow, maybe it needs to change its focus. But city council is the one that has the decision-making responsibility,” he said.
He was also adamant that this isn’t a done deal.
“I hit this point already, but I want to hit it again. This is the start of a conversation, a community conversation and feedback to council. There hasn’t been a decision,” he said. “Council has not received this presentation from me. They’re here to watch and learn from your feedback of this.”
Mayor Mike Mason was present at the meeting, along with all of the city council members except Eric Christ who was out of town and watching remotely.
Issues and obstacles
Johnson explained that the grounds for the inquiry were based on issues about communication, access to information and enforcement of city-specific ordinances. He cited an example where a city rule that private residences can’t be rented on a short-term basis like Vrbo or Airbnb wasn’t enforced by GCPD. An owner tried to circumvent the ordinance by only renting the outside of the house. A loud pool party ensued, and frustrated neighbors dialed 911.
“Officers showed up and they said, ‘We can’t enforce the city’s noise ordinance,’” Johnson said.
The first stage to fix this problem was creating the marshal program to bridge the gap between code enforcement and GCPD.
“[We thought] they would be able to enforce both local ordinance and state law, since they are a function of the city, and they could maybe be a force multiplier for Gwinnett since [marshals] don’t have to respond to 911 calls,” said Johnson.
But other issues arose shortly after the department was formed.
“We were still working towards getting that good balance, but we have been faced recently with a couple of things that make it harder for us,” said Johnson.
Seeking shared access
Instead of GCPD giving PTC marshals read-only, quick access to incident reports, dispatch calls and other information, the marshals department was required to file open records requests through the same process as any civilian.
“They were denied, as well as the city of Sugar Hill, [when] asked for the ability to see, not change, but see the computer-aided dispatch information, so that they would know where Gwinnett County police officers were; so that they could avoid stepping on their toes or maybe looking to support their efforts, and they haven’t been granted that,” said Johnson.
He added that the GCPD has video cameras on certain roadways that are used for various reasons, and law enforcement can use them when there’s crime in the area. Peachtree Corners marshals were denied access to those cameras.
“Conversely, we have a couple hundred cameras in the city, and we definitely want them to have access to them,” said Johnson. “So the frustration out of not being able to get that symbiosis between the marshals and police made us start thinking, all right, you know, is there another option?”
Community feedback
CPSM utilized data from GCPD to discern if Peachtree Corners could feasibly stand its own force. It also took into consideration crime trends, costs and many other factors. It recommended a 55-officer department, costing $12.1 million annually, with a $2.2 million upfront cost.
Comparing the two options to “renting vs. owning” the primary law enforcement agency in the city, Johnson presented pros and cons for each. Once the question-and-answer portion began, there was no obvious choice. Men and women, young and more advanced in age, had both similar and differing opinions.
One young man, who identified himself as a local small business owner named Alexander, argued that with artificial intelligence increasing the efficiency of administrative tasks, perhaps the city wouldn’t need a full 68-man department of civilians and sworn officers.
Some accused the city of devising a solution in need of a problem. Others were concerned that paying approximately $100,00 for a study was throwing good money after bad.
But at the end of it all, the city is continuing to seek feedback and is encouraging everyone to make informed decisions. The meeting was taped and is available on the city website along with Johnson’s PowerPoint presentation, a copy of the study done by CPSM and a survey.
As far as a timeline goes, city officials would like folks to take the summer to mull it over and come back in the fall to take another look at the proposal.
Many residents express concerns that it won’t fix traffic problems
If the term “roundabout” conjures up images of Chevy Chase caught in an endless circle in the 1985 film, “National Lampoon’s European Vacation,” you probably haven’t given the more modern versions here in metro Atlanta much of a chance.
Peachtree Corners plans to add a second roundabout in the city, adding to the first one built in 2018. That one, at Medlock Bridge Road and Peachtree Corners Circle, generated hundreds of social media comments from residents and stakeholders who were frustrated with the chosen solution for the busy intersection.
Hoping to alleviate some of the angst this time, a public information meeting on March 27 gave those interested in the planned roundabout at Peachtree Corners Circle — positioned between The Forum entrance and Crème de la Crème — an opportunity to look at the plans. About 20 people showed up.
Peachtree Corners Public Works Director Greg Ramsey, who facilitated the open house, said some who came in with the opinion that the roundabout wasn’t a good idea had changed their minds by the time they left.
“We had one couple who came in who said they didn’t like the idea at first, but after watching the videos and seeing the renderings and talking to our staff and our design team, that that they had their minds changed, that they felt like it’s going to be a positive change and a positive addition and safer for the entire community,” he said.
Designed to improve traffic flow and safety, this new intersection will feature pedestrian-friendly crossings, dedicated bike lanes and better access to local businesses, according to the city. Peachtree Corners officials and engineers from Kimley-Horn shared insights on the design, traffic impact and construction timelines.
High rate of traffic crashes
When the first roundabout opened, Ramsey told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, “Roundabouts promote a continuous flow of traffic in all directions versus a traditional traffic signal that stops at least one direction at all times. The roundabout allows for a greater volume of traffic through an intersection while minimizing delays, particularly during off-peak hours.”
He still believes it’s the best solution for many blocked areas.
Back in January of 2022, the city of Peachtree Corners commissioned a study to determine what type of traffic calming device would help alleviate congestion and cut down on crashes along Peachtree Corners Circle between The Forum’s major driveway and Peachtree Parkway.
Crash data for the five-year period between January 1, 2017 and December 31, 2021 showed that approximately 69% of the 36 crashes reported in the area were property damage only, and just one crash resulted in suspected serious injury.
Crashes were also evaluated based on the manner of collision. Approximately 83% of the total reported crashes within the study area were either angle or rear-end type crashes. Each had 15 occurrences. Sideswipes and single-vehicle crashes were also reported within the analysis window.
- The highest crash frequency occurred in the right-turn lane approaching Peachtree Parkway. Seven rear-end-type crashes occurred within the turn lane.
- The second highest crash frequency occurred at The Forum’s main driveway, where six crashes were caused by drivers turning left from The Forum crashing with westbound through-traffic on Peachtree Corners Circle.
- Three sideswipes occurred in the westbound lanes of Peachtree Corners Circle just west of Peachtree Parkway.
- Of the total reported crashes within the study location, 12 occurred at the intersection of Peachtree Corners Circle and The Forum’s major driveway.
- Of the 15 reported rear-end crashes, 10 of them occurred at the intersection of Peachtree Parkway and Peachtree Corners Circle.
- Of the 14 crashes reported at The Forum’s major driveway, nine were angle crashes.
- Six of the eight reported crashes at The Forum’s minor driveway/QuikTrip driveway were angle crashes. One of these reported angle crashes involved a bicyclist, who was seriously injured.
Because angle crashes cause the greatest number of fatalities and injuries of all crash types, safety improvements were a high priority in this intersection control study.
Why here, why now?
Prompted by the crash rates, the next step was to find a solution. Due to multiple conflict points that involved vehicles, pedestrians and high traffic volumes (locations where the paths of road-users coincide, representing potential crash areas and categorized as crossing, merging, diverging or pedestrian interaction), several options were ruled out.
“The need was a safety one. There are a lot of conflict points out there between vehicles turning in all directions and pedestrians in the area as well,” said Ramsey. “There’s a daycare and gas station there and very high traffic volumes at certain periods of the day.”
This particular intersection proved tricky because of the volume and variety of traffic.
“With four or five driveways and lots of traffic dumping onto the street coming from The Forum and other businesses there, you can imagine multiple periods of high volume — like the lunch hour rush,” he continued. “Additional traffic is being projected as well for multi-family [structures] that have been rezoned in that development.”
He added that many people also feel the need to speed through the intersection.
“Unfortunately, a lot of that traffic is going at a high rate of speed and so some of these crashes and near misses that we’ve seen are extreme.”
Improved safety and feasibility
Traffic studies and feasibility reports approved by Gwinnett County to reduce accidents and improve traffic flow in the area showed that traditional traffic signals are impractical due to proximity to 141.
With the success of the roundabout at Peachtree Corners Circle and Medlock Bridge Road, though, Ramsey said once people get used to it, they’ll find that it is for the better.
“It certainly has improved safety at that intersection, and we’ve been very pleased with how it turned out,” he said. “Incidentally, there was a lot of negative community feedback when that roundabout was proposed, but ironically, two years after that project opened, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution wrote an article saying, basically, ‘Hey, this turned out to be okay after all.’”
The city council has funded the new project design and conceptual development, as well as the traffic study, so right now it’s progressing forward, Ramsey added.
“This is not like a rezoning where there’s public hearings, it’s just a public project that the city has in its annual capital improvement program, just like a number of other intersection improvements that we’ve done, are doing and will be doing,” he said.
How roundabouts help with traffic
Ramsey shared that roundabouts act in two ways.
“Number one, it’s a traffic calming mechanism. It slows people down and slower traffic is safer traffic, especially when pedestrians are involved. And at the same time, it keeps traffic moving,” he said. “And then at the same time again, not stopping at a red light, having to sit there idling your vehicle and sitting in the hot sun is a plus — traffic is always flowing.”
He pointed out many cities in Europe as well as the city of Carmel-by-the-Sea are big proponents of roundabouts. He added that there are cities in Indiana that would like to do away with traffic signals altogether and use roundabouts exclusively. Metro Atlanta has several examples as well, including the Riverside Drive on-ramp to I-285.
The next phase of the project is sending out a request for proposals for construction. Ramsey said it should be out by late summer/early fall.
“It’s a rough timeline right now, and there’s nothing set in place for a variety of factors — right-of-way and easement acquisition needs that are required,” he said.
Right now the timeline is looking like completion will be in 18 months or so.
Public reaction
The comments on the Peachtree Corners Life Facebook page a few days after the open house were a mixed bag.
Gail Livor Glattli: Hate those things. Nobody knows how to use them correctly.
Actually, roundabouts are pretty easy to navigate, said Ramsey.
“Obviously, you’re going to approach something new. We hope you’re paying attention about how to get through it,” he said. “But then the second, third and many times after they go through it, I think the comfort level grows. And certainly if you’re not distracted with your phone or other devices in your vehicle, paying attention to the signage and the channelization of the roadway is doable.”
Doug Edstrom: Oh boy, can you offer a free training class on how to proceed through one of these?
The Federal Highway Administration has a YouTube video that explains how to navigate roundabouts.
Karin Arranz: Traffic there is a cluster. Hopefully this will help fix the near misses we deal with daily.
Michael Falkner: Thank goodness. Anything is better than that current mess.
Glen G. Gordon: This is badly needed and will help tremendously. I like that the crosswalk at the Forum driveway is set back a bit.
Port Rose Kaufman: Why don’t they just put up a light at that corner? I’ve seen at least 10 accidents there over the years.
Ramsey said a traffic signal isn’t allowed there.
“It’s too close to 141 for a traffic signal with the standard red light, green light at that intersection,” he said. “It’s against GDOT standards to put in a signal at that close proximity. It would actually back up traffic into 141, which would make that heavy intersection even worse, and that’s certainly something we want to avoid.”
Bob Ballagh: A whole lot better than the current intersection.
“Obviously, we’ve got a few people who are just against the idea, but I’m not sure that we’re going to ever be able to make everybody happy,” said Ramsey.
“We’re trying to make the best solution possible. There’s going to be some discomfort with change for some people on everything we do, but we believe this is the best solution of those that are available to us.”
For more information about the project, visit peachtreecornersga.gov/1449.
Ramsey also encouraged residents and stakeholders with questions to contact his department at publicworks@peachtreecornersga.gov.
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