Reason 1: "Beat cops" are a thing of the past. Our officers provide the kind of community policing that the City and County cannot supply.
|
1. Unfortunately, the Atlanta and DeKalb police departments are unable to provide the regular patrolling that many Druid Hills residents expect from their tax dollars. Demand on police services pulls officers into other geographic areas. Across the metro Atlanta area dozens of private patrols have been organized by concerned neighbors.
|
|
|
2. Given the amount of violent crime in the Atlanta urban area, non-violent crime like burglary doesn’t receive significant (if any) jail time. Our jails are overflowing and the court systems are clogged, so burglary suspects are released back onto the street in no time with no punishment.
3. This situation forces us to take responsibility for our own security and the security of our families and homes. This means assessing the vulnerability of our houses to entry and making them more secure. It means changing habits: remembering to consistently lock doors and activate alarm systems; securing valuables and never leaving items in vehicles; staying in contact with neighbors; being attentive to and reporting unusual activity in the neighborhood to the police, etc. |
|
4. It also means working together as a community to increase the general security of our neighborhood. That is why the Druid Hills Patrol is so important. Our officers supplement the under-staffed, under-funded police departments and provide the kind of community policing that the City and County cannot supply.
5. The mission of the Druid Hills Patrol is to make our neighborhood safer by providing dedicated, off-duty City of Atlanta and DeKalb County Police officers to patrol our neighborhood wearing full police uniform, in direct communication with 911, with emergency response capability and full powers to arrest, operating out of a clearly identified DHP vehicle. |
|