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Post by Terri and Patrick on Feb 16, 2006 18:18:20 GMT -5
Hi,
Our neighbors at East Lake are trying to get an off-duty police patrol going for their neighborhood. The cost is $200 a year plus a one-time fee of $15 to cover initial operating expenses such as the signs, the creation and operation of a website, and other such expenses. They will start the operation once they have 150 households signed-up. They are having an informational meeting about it tonight (Thursday). Obviously, if we can get 150 households in our neighborhood then the cost will be a lot less for us, too. I will try to find out tonight what their hourly cost is for the police officer. That way we know if what we have been quoted is reasonable ($25 an hour).
I will post more information soon...Let me know if you are interested.
Terri
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Post by Terri and Patrick on Feb 17, 2006 18:37:44 GMT -5
The following is a flier for the security patrol. E-mail me if you would like an interest form.
Terri H.
WHITE OAK HILLS SECURITY PATROL
Dear Neighbor,
We would like to provide you with some information on establishing a security patrol due to the recent increase in criminal activity in White Oak Hills. As residents of White Oak Hills, we are very interested in creating a safe environment for our families. In order to accomplish this goal, we are asking you to consider supporting the establishment of a security patrol in our neighborhood. Please consider the following information when making a decision to participate in the White Oak Hills Security Patrol (WOHSP).
Why do we need a patrol?
On average one to two Dekalb County police officers patrol Beat 330 that White Oak Hills neighborhood belongs to. Beat 330 encompasses the area from where McAfee Rd meets Candler Rd in the south to where Candler meets Memorial Dr in the north. Knoll Elementary school is the divider in the east.
If an officer in another beat needs back-up, our patrolling officer(s) are gone.
There are talks of rezoning the districts/beats therefore increasing the size of our beat. The number of officers patrolling our beat would stay the same.
On average it takes 10-15 minutes for an officer to respond to a call in White Oak Hills.
White Oak Hills has experienced an increase in home burglaries, car break-ins, drug selling and prostitution. We also recently had an ARMED home invasion in the neighborhood. The resident was beat with a gun and the perpetrators have not been caught. There have been at least three very similar incidents on the east side of Atlanta in January alone.
East Atlanta and East Lake neighborhoods are both setting-up security patrols. This may increase crime for us by literally pushing it into our neighborhood.
To address this, a few residents in White Oak Hills have decided it is time to be proactive and start the White Oak Hills Security Patrol. (WOHSP)
Background on Security Patrols
In 1990 Grant Park established the Grant Park Security Patrol (GPSP) to address the increase in burglaries in their neighborhood. Over the past 15 years, home burglaries have dropped more than 70%. In the past few years several other in-town neighborhoods (Midtown, Ansley etc.) have organized private security patrols and have seen similar success. The East Atlanta community is the most recent neighborhood to follow the trend and East Lake is trying to get one started as we speak. We’re proposing for us to follow the GPSP model with some tailoring meeting specific needs of the White Oak Hills community. We can discuss this further with the joining members.
GPSP model
GPSP hires off-duty police officers to patrol the streets of the neighborhood, in their own unmarked cars. City of Atlanta does not let their officers to bring their cars to the off-duty engagements. However, Dekalb County or the city of Decatur does not have rules against this; therefore our officers will be in their patrol cars. Although “off-duty”, these police officers still retain full policing powers when working for us. Additionally, they are able to stop and question suspicious people, ask for IDs, and check for prior arrests and outstanding warrants.
All administration is done by volunteers. The neighborhood is divided into zones, each encompassing a few blocks. A zone captain is responsible for soliciting memberships, is the point of contact for out-of-town notices, suspicious person reports, and any other concerns. They distribute the monthly/quarterly newsletter detailing the crimes reported in the neighborhood, and a return envelope, each quarter when it is time to collect dues.
Grant Park’s fees are $33 per quarter or $132 per year. This is based on around 200 houses participating in the program for 24 patrol hours per week with an hourly rate of $25 for the officer. They have found this to be the optimum amount of patrol hours for deterring crime. There is also a one time fee of $10 for administrative things such as the yard sign that is put on the yard of the member houses. (similar to what security companies use) East Lake is planning on charging their members $200 year or $50 a quarter. This is because they have fewer houses in their neighborhood than Grant Park. Our fees will be dependent on the number of households participating and the patrol hours decided upon.
Quick Facts about proposed WOHSP:
• WOHSP will hire police officers to cruise by member’s homes using the quarterly membership list, particularly stopping to check houses where members have reported that they are out-of-town. They have police cars and radio and can listen for 911 calls and WOHSP member burglar alarm reports. (which are low priority for routine patrols by Dekalb police)
• The officers will vary the days and hours they patrol, targeting times when there has been the most trouble. If your home is burglarized, they will help to solve your case, particularly assisting you with the justice system.
• When on duty, the officer’s response time is 2-3 minutes.
• The patrol does not replace the Dekalb County police, but works with and in addition to normal police coverage.
• It is important that White Oak Hills residents continue to call 911 to report crimes and suspicious characters. This will enable the WOHSP officers to put together crime patterns and gather evidence for arrests and convictions.
• The Patrol will be completely supported by membership dues. The number of paid members will determine the cost per household and the member’s preferences determine the number of patrol hours. The officer cost is $25 per hour.
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Post by Tjomas on Dec 19, 2007 0:13:00 GMT -5
glenwoodslog.blogspot.com/This is for all people who live near or on Glenwood and yes its you. I love where i live and i like my house but d**n do i have to deal with Zombies Mooks and Night walkers around my place. I want to hear some feedback as to what you all have to deal with. It really seems a bit nuts so close to the POLICE STATION!!!!
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Post by Thom on Dec 19, 2007 0:15:00 GMT -5
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