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.
City of Peachtree Corners
Peachtree Corners and ConnVAS Collaborate on Intelligent Crosswalk Technology
Live pilot in Georgia smart city showcases groundbreaking advancements in pedestrian safety and roadway technology
Peachtree Corners — one of the nation’s first smart cities powered by real-world connected infrastructure and 5G — has announced a collaboration for a pilot project with ConnVAS, an innovator in advanced traffic and pedestrian safety solutions.
The pilot launched outside of Pinckneyville Middle School, addresses the safety challenges of busy crosswalks by testing how real-time, AI-driven detection can reduce accidents and create a safer environment for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers by activating alerts, even when pedestrians do not activate crosswalk signals.
An AI-driven computing system
The pilot utilizes ConnVAS’s MAGIC (Multi-Access Generic Infrastructure Controller), AI-driven edge computing system, which incorporates cameras mounted on RRFB poles (Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon) to monitor pedestrian and vehicle movement, V2X transceivers for real-time vehicle-to-infrastructure communication and an integrated audio-visual alert system.
When the system detects a pedestrian or cyclist using the crosswalk, crossing outside of the crosswalk lines or a vehicle approaching the crosswalk, each of its technologies work together in real time to immediately activate alerts to both the users of the crosswalk and incoming drivers — even if the pedestrians did not press the crosswalk buttons.
The system also continually collects anonymous data such as felonies, near-misses and pedestrian and vehicle counts for ongoing analysis of crosswalk usage and traffic.
“Peachtree Corners is dedicated to implementing technology solutions that address real-world safety challenges for our residents,” said Brandon Branham, executive director of Curiosity Lab.
“The ConnVAS system provides an innovative solution to common safety hazards such as pedestrians crossing outside of designated areas, failure to press crosswalk buttons and drivers failing to detect pedestrians or cyclists in time,” he continued.
“By integrating advanced AI detection and real-time alerts, this ConnVAS pilot enhances safety in an area where our residents need it the most today, while also generating actionable insights that can guide our development of smarter, more responsive infrastructure in the future. We are excited to be continuing the pilot program to continue to gain insights in how we can improve our city for our residents.”
Collecting data and observing patterns
Preliminary results from the pilot program that were extracted from a midweek 72-hour period, show distinct patterns that can better help city managers ensure roadways are safe and efficient for VRUs (vulnerable road users) and drivers.
At the pilot location, ConnVAS reported over 220 pedestrian crossings for more than 70 crossing events, with only three false alarms. The system consistently and successfully activated flashing beacons and audio alerts in real time, ensuring those crossing the road and oncoming drivers were promptly warned.
Additionally, traffic data collected by the system is being used to evaluate the technology’s impact and will aid city officials in making informed decisions about improving road safety and urban planning in specific locations.
“The pilot we are conducting in Peachtree Corners has been instrumental in refining our technology and demonstrating its impact in a real-world environment,” said Danny Frydman, founder and CEO of ConnVAS. “Through continuous testing and data analysis, we’ve been able to improve the accuracy of our system’s AI detection, ensuring faster and more reliable activation of alerts. This has directly enhanced the safety of the area by addressing critical challenges, including missed warnings for pedestrians and cyclists or delayed driver awareness.”
“The insights gained from this pilot are helping us evolve the software to adapt to complex traffic scenarios and create safer, smarter intersections everywhere,” Frydman added. “We hope to scale this solution throughout the city as the pilot and technology continues to develop.”
Evaluating features
The ConnVAS pilot in Peachtree Corners is continuing to evaluate various features, including autonomous operation features that eliminate the need for manual button presses and reduce false alarms, cyclist-friendly designs and V2X connectivity to communicate with connected vehicles to alert drivers of crosswalk activity.
Additional capabilities such as dynamic illumination based on pedestrian location are also being explored to further enhance VRU safety.
About ConnVAS
ConnVAS is an innovator in advanced traffic and pedestrian safety solutions. At the core of ConnVAS solutions is the ConnVAS MAGIC — an AI-driven edge computing traffic detector. The MAGIC stands at the heart of ConnVAS enhanced RRFB, intelligent signalized intersection and traffic analytics solutions.
Providing edge computing solutions that include AI detection, V2X communication and diverse interfaces, ConnVAS enhances the safety and efficiency of the transportation environment.
For more information, visit connvas.com.
Public Safety
Seyond Collaborates with Curiosity Lab and Peachtree Corners to Deploy Traffic Safety Tech
Peachtree Corners, one of the United States’ first 5G smart cities, announced a collaboration with Seyond, a global provider of image-grade LiDAR technology.
Through this collaboration, Seyond will deploy and validate its LiDAR solutions in a real-world environment in an effort to create safer streets and smoother traffic flow for both vehicles and vulnerable road users (VRUs) in the city.
Seyond’s LiDAR solution is already deployed within Curiosity Lab’s smart city ecosystem and at a select intersection in the City of Peachtree Corners.
These locations use a combination of Seyond’s LiDAR, OmniVidi Perception Service Software Platform and Blue-Band Integrator AI to provide a real-time 3D mapping of the areas, with both vehicles and pedestrian object detection.
These combined technologies collect data that can be used to implement traffic and VRU signal solutions to make intersections safer and more efficient, while also protecting citizen privacy.
The collected data from Seyond’s data and Blue-Band’s analysis can be used by Peachtree Corners to adjust traffic signals, pedestrian crossing signals, intersection design and more to address specific safety and efficiency needs.
“Curiosity Lab’s shared public domain available for testing, deployment and validation is one of the many characteristics that attracted us to collaborate with the organization,”
“By collecting data from high-volume intersections across vehicular and pedestrian traffic, we will be able to improve the quality and reliability of detection results, which can help validate Intelligent Traffic Solution-based use cases,” said Seyond Co-founder and CEO Junwei Bao.
“Our technology can be used at a signal intersection but also across parking, large areas of pedestrian crossings and more. Curiosity Lab and Peachtree Corners will allow us to explore these use cases in a real-world environment as we continue to advance and validate our solutions for public use to improve safety for all,” he added.
Seyond’s LiDAR system is able to map large environments up to 1,640-foot range that would usually require multiple traffic cameras. The hardware, originally developed and tested for autonomous vehicles, is manufactured to be automotive-grade and has been designed to withstand extreme weather conditions.
These capabilities enable Curiosity Lab and Peachtree Corners to have accurate monitoring 24/7 to make the most educated intelligent transport updates to meet the needs of citizens and visitors.
“LiDAR technology is going to change the way cities look at managing vehicular and pedestrian traffic,” said Curiosity Lab Executive Director Brandon Branham. “
LiDAR allows the city to collect data on traffic movement, congestion, wrecks, near misses and even pedestrian activity, while protecting everyone’s privacy. Seyond’s solution takes the capabilities of LiDAR one step further and enables us as a city to evaluate how we can make our major intersections safer and more efficient for VRUs and everyday traffic,” he explained.
Learn more about Seyond’s technologies at seyond.com.
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