The DeKalb Perimeter Community Improvement District has committed $173,350 in funds for a two-year public safety technology partnership with the Dunwoody Police Department, which includes installing a Flock Safety surveillance system in key parts of the Perimeter area.
“This partnership underscores our dedication to creating a safe and secure environment for everyone in the Perimeter community,” Ann Hanlon, Executive Director of the Perimeter CIDs, said in a statement. “By investing in this advanced technology and collaborating closely with the Dunwoody Police Department, we are taking proactive steps to address evolving safety needs and uphold our commitment to public safety.”
The partnership will involve the deployment of its Flock Safety system that includes license plate readers, a gunshot detection system covering one-square mile, and pan-tilt-zoom cameras, the release said.
Sgt. Tim Fecht, who heads the department’s criminal investigation system, said the installation of the system will quicken the speed of investigations particularly in recovery of stolen vehicles and identification of wanted persons.
“With this system in place, we will have immediate actual evidence available,” Fecht said. “We are very thankful that the PCID is willing to help improve the security and safety in the Perimeter area for those who work, live and play in the area.
The FLOCK Safety system has already been installed in several areas in Dunwoody. The department first installed 20 cameras in 2019, then added 20 more in 2021. The Dunwoody City Council appropriated funds to install 25 more in 2022.
While there isn’t hard statistical data directly linking arrests and stolen vehicle recovery to the FLOCK system, Fecht said there has been a 200% increase in arrests of wanted persons from 2022 to 2023 within the city.
Fecht said the FLOCK system was particularly effective in 2022 during the force’s investigation of the deadly shooting of two brothers at the Lacota Apartments on Peachtree Industrial Boulevard.
“Within an hour, we were able to identify the vehicle that was involved in the incident, and one suspect was arrested,” Fecht said. “We were then able to identify and arrest three more people involved in the homicides.”
Fecht said the department expects the system to be installed and active by this summer.