The Atlanta Police Department has promoted Maj. Timothy Peek to commander of the Zone 6 precinct. He replaces Maj. Keith Meadows, who is now in charge of the APD’s School Detectives Section, the public safety arm of the Atlanta Public Schools system. Peek, who has been with APD for almost 20 years, served previously as the department’s liaison as Deputy Director to the regional High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force (HIDTA) and is also a graduate of the FBI National Academy. He has also been a sergeant in the Homicide Unit, an investigator and patrol officer.
The final phase of the Ansley Park Traffic Calming Project was set to begin as the September issue of INtown went to press. The measures include long-awaited roundabouts along Peachtree Circle at The Prado and 15th Street. Funded in part by a Georgia Department of Transportation Grant, the Ansley Park Civic Association (APCA) is working with the City of Atlanta to build the two roundabouts. Tunnell and Tunnell Landscape Architects (TTLA), the company hired by the APCA to oversee the newly completed four entrances along Piedmont, along with the Polo Drive sidewalk, has worked closely with GDOT engineers and plan reviewers to create intersections which respect the historic nature of Ansley Park’s existing, islands, parks and roadways. The new roundabouts include granite curbs, cobblestone pavers, and concrete sidewalks and ramps. The project is expected to be finished in six to eight months.
The Atlanta Police Department Class #229 attended a graduation ceremony at Atlanta City Hall after 21 weeks of rigorous training at the Atlanta Police Academy, along with 12 weeks of field training with veteran officers. The training includes classroom courses in constitutional law, APD policy and procedure, hands-on defensive tactics, arrest techniques and daily physical fitness. Class 229 consists of 24 men and 11 women, including a 39-year-old single mother and nine military veterans.
The Atlanta Fire Department has acquired $10 million worth of apparatus including nine new engines, three ladder trucks and three battalion command vehicles. They will be housed at Stations 1, 6, 16, 17, 28, 24, 32, 35 and 40. The department has also purchased a Rapid Deployment Craft, a 16-foot inflatable rescue craft for the Special Operations Unit, an ambulance bus that can accommodate 16 patients and a decontamination unit.
The Atlanta Police Department is seeking participants for the Citizens Police Academy. Sgt. Greg Lyon said the Citizens Police Academy will provide a hands-on opportunity to educate Atlantans on the operations of the department, which will allow APD to obtain valuable feedback to enhance police and community relations. The Citizens Police Academy will include more than 30 hours of instruction taught in three-hour sessions. Participation requires a commitment of three hours, one night a week, for seven weeks. The training includes classroom courses in crime scenes, a department overview and a zone ride-a-long. Classes are held every Wednesday evening from 6 to to 9 p.m., beginning Wednesday, Oct. 2. Classes are held at the Herbert T. Jenkins Atlanta Police Academy, 180 Southside Industrial Parkway, Atlanta, 30354.Interested citizens can apply by contacting Lt. J. Durant at the Atlanta Police Academy at (404) 209-5250 or jdurant@atlantaga.gov. The deadline for application is Monday, Sept. 23. Participants must be a resident of the metropolitan Atlanta area, be at least 21 years old, and have no felony or misdemeanor convictions within one year of application. A standard background check will be completed.
At press time, the Decatur Police Department reported a drastic cut in the number of burglaries in the city – from 33 in May/June to 14 in July/August so far. Sgt. Jennifer Ross said there had been an increase in calls from the community reporting suspicious persons, vehicles and activity. “We know credit for this decrease does not belong to the officers alone,” Ross said. “Thank you and keep looking out and keep calling.”
City of Atlanta residents and businesses are now required to register their security and burglar alarm systems by Feb. 1, 2014. Registration opens Sept. 15. The move is to reduce the number of false alarm calls in the city. The Atlanta Police Department responded to 65,000 alarms in 2012 and 95 percent of them were false alarms. Residents can register their alarm system for free online at crywolf.us/atlantaga/ or by calling 1-855-725-7102. There is a $150 fine for not registering an alarm. If an alarm is activated and it turns out to be false there is no fine, just a warning. The second false alarm will result in a $50 fine to the homeowner. Fines will escalate for each false call thereafter.