County Leadership Is Making Our Community Unsafe

Over the past 2 years, I have tried to stay active and informed as to the happenings in Brookhaven.  In order to stay abreast of crime, I have CrimeTrac alerts emailed to me and I keep in touch with local police officers. In regards to crime, the last 18 months have been very troublesome.

None more troublesome, however, than the last seven days starting with Wednesday, June 20.

I have heard from opponents of the No City crowd that we have adequate police protection. I have heard from DeKalb Police that we have more than adequate officers on the road at all times.

Over the last seven days, there have been five violent crimes; four of these crimes happened within 36 hours.  And, all five of these crimes happened within two to three miles of each other.

According to DeKalb Police reports, on Wednesday, June 20, there was an armed robbery/carjacking on Glen Way (within yards of Hudson Grill), an armed robbery/carjacking on Kendrick Drive (1/2 mile from Hudson Grill) and yet another armed robbery AT Hudson Grill. These three crimes happened within 1/2 mile of each other. Two happened within mere yards, yes that is yards, of each other. In two cases, one victim was shot at and one was pistol whipped.

Things got worse. The following day, Thursday, June 21, there was another armed robbery/carjacking at Blackburn Park. Same suspects. 

The good news. The suspects were apprehended. I called officers that I knew and discovered something interesting. What I found was that the chase of three of the suspects that ended in Buckhead, was initiated by an off-duty officer working a security job in the area. 

That's right. Private citizens paid for the extra person that DeKalb County could not provide on its own.

Despite this, things go even worse. On Monday, June 25, a fifth armed robbery occurred at the DeKalb County park at the corner of Osborne Road and Peachtree Road. In this case, the suspect smashed a car window while the driver was in the car!

I have tried to figure out how adequate police coverage could allow so many violent crimes to occur within such a short period of time and within such a small geographic area.

I have heard the commander of the North Precinct, Major Ellison, describe in public, how DeKalb Police could move resources into an area when needed to address crimes such as those described above. 

How did four armed robberies/carjackings occur within 36 hours and occur within mere miles, and in some cases, yards of each other? Where were the resources when citizens needed them? Why were they not deployed faster?

The answer. DeKalb County leadership has lost focus on the citizens within the proposed City of Brookhaven. 

DKPD officers are honest, vigilant and dedicated. DeKalb County leadership, however, is not.

I did some research and asked around. Major Ellison is running for Dawson County Sheriff. Reader's Digest version: Major Ellison is running a political campaign while running the North Precinct, which by the way, is located in the city of Dunwoody, not Brookhaven.

The officers of the North Precinct serve an area of 100,000 people. It takes more than a few minutes time for an officer to respond to an event in Brookhaven when he or she is busy dealing with traffic and crime on Pleasantdale Road.

DeKalb County police has to focus on the other 650,000 people and 258 square miles in DeKalb while trying to keep the 50,000 residents in Brookhaven safe from the type of crimes listed above.

In the proposed city of Brookhaven, the 50,000 residents would have a police force dedicated only to this area, a chief of police whose sole interest was this area, a precinct actually located in this area, and more police officers per shift to make criminals unwelcome in Brookhaven.

It is time to make a change. It is time to make our families safer.

It is time for a City of Brookhaven.

Dean Stansel