Will the Proposed City of Brookhaven Have Adequate Protection? Yes!

Recently, there has been a significant amount of discussion regarding police protection in the proposed new City of Brookhaven.  It has been suggested, by some, that the new city will have inadequate police coverage.  This conclusion is typically based upon various calculated ratios, which, in the end, do not present a meaningful conclusion (there are too many variables not taken into consideration). 

Others, for their argument, utilize the numbers outlined within the City of Brookhaven feasibility study, which was conducted by the Carl Vinson Institute (CVI) of Government at the University of Georgia.  A copy of this study is located at the following website:  www.brookhavenyes.org.  There have also been issues raised related to the boundaries of the proposed city and the demographics of this area.  Others have tried to argue that there would be problems with the Brookhaven police officer count (too low) by referencing Dunwoody.  One individual, in a recent letter to the editor, made it sound as if Dunwoody’s Police Department, which would be somewhat similar to Brookhaven, is in a dire staffing situation.  This does not appear to be the case.  Yes, the Dunwoody Police Chief has requested additional staffing to improve his department, but the request is over a five year period (a copy of this recommendation is available to the public).  If you look at the facts, in relation to these and other concerns, it becomes clear that the City of Brookhaven will not only have the police protection it needs, but the quality of such services will be greatly enhanced, when compared with those currently being provided by DeKalb County.

To understand the area being considered, you must first look at the numbers.  The proposed City of Brookhaven encompasses 11.67 square miles.  The DeKalb County North Precinct, which currently provides police protection for our area, covers a total of 23.4 square miles and a population that’s close to 100,000.  The proposed City of Brookhaven comprises approximately 49.9 percent (by area) / 53.8 percent (by population) of the North Precinct.  DeKalb County’s North Precinct has 105 sworn officers assigned to it. 

The CVI study reflects 53 officers as an adequate number for the proposed City of Brookhaven, which is in line with the numbers above.  It should also be noted that the feasibility study provides a recommended number of police officers, but this is not necessarily the number of officers the new city will have, once formed.  The total number of police officers will be determined by the mayor and city council, not the CVI feasibility study.  The CVI study is only a guide, whose numbers were determined by comparing other neighboring cities around Atlanta.  It will be entirely up to those governing the new city and the Chief of Police to determine the appropriate amount of resources required to protect our area and its citizens. 

In addition to the number of officers being questioned (by some), there is also concern over the geographic area being covered.  This should certainly not be considered an issue, as the existing North Precinct currently does pose a coverage issue, due to its shape, and the new city would solve this issue.  The North Precinct forms a V, which makes it difficult to move between areas, east to west.  The proposed City of Brookhaven is only two +/- miles wide , which will make it much easier for officers to quickly respond to calls, especially in situations where multiple officers are needed.  Assuming the City of Brookhaven Police Precinct is located near Peachtree Road, this would provide a centrally positioned location and provide officers, not already on patrol, with the ability to rapidly respond to any area of Brookhaven.

Another issue that has been raised is the concern over demographics and areas that pose a higher risk of crime.  Currently, the Buford Highway area reports an excessive amount of criminal activity, as does the area at the southern part of Peachtree Road, near the proposed city’s boundary to the east.  In other areas of the proposed city, crime is not concentrated.  A detailed push pin crime map is located at the following website:  www.crimemapping.com.  This map shows the areas with the highest and lowest amount of crime.  Yes, it’s true that these higher crime areas will require more attention than others and resources will be allocated to address these locations.  In addition, some advocates of the City of Brookhaven have suggested that building code enforcement and improvements to these higher crime areas will help to decrease the amount of criminal activity.  I agree with this and have seen this occur in many areas of Atlanta.

As a father of two young children, safety is not something I take lightly and, after looking at the research, I feel confident that our new city will have a great police force, one which exceeds all expectations.  It will be what we make it and I challenge those who are trying to find a way to oppose everything associated with the formation of this city to (instead) put your time and energy into creating something that we will all be proud of and a place that improves our quality of life, the City of Brookhaven.  There are many individuals working countless hours on the creation of this city and everyone has an opportunity to participate in this process.  I encourage you to get involved and help make this the best place to live in Georgia.   

Chris Elsevier is the treasurer of Brookhaven Yes.