By Jim Durrett, President of Buckhead Coalition and Executive Director of Buckhead Community Improvement District
When I was given the opportunity to helm the Buckhead Coalition in mid-2020 after Sam Massell retired, we were four months into the global pandemic, the protests stemming from the murder of George Floyd had turned violent in Atlanta, the Chief of Police had resigned, and the morale of the officers of the Atlanta Police Department was so damaged that many left the force. Crime spiked and was, to a degree, out of control. The good people of Atlanta were not only concerned, but worried and even afraid.
In Buckhead, some believed that the only way to effectively fight crime was to carve Buckhead from the City of Atlanta, form their own city, and build their own police force. Others, myself included, believed that we would be much better served by coming together to solve the complex problem.
In 2020 and 2021 we met fairly often with APD leadership in both Zone 2 (Buckhead’s Zone) and headquarters to determine what we could do to help. The Buckhead Community Improvement District began partnering with Zone 2 in 2020 by funding supplemental police patrols in the evenings in the core of Buckhead where lawlessness was more prevalent. In 2021 the CID invested more of its tax dollars to fund a bicycle patrol to cover other parts of Buckhead’s core at other times of the day.
From one of those meetings with APD leadership a suggestion was made to explore the establishment of a satellite precinct in the Buckhead Village area. Long story short, we cut the ribbon on the Village precinct in 2022.
In 2021, Zone 2 won the crime reduction award, having achieved the greatest reduction in crime among all six zones in the City of Atlanta. Zone 2 repeated as the crime reduction award winner in 2022.
Now I am not saying that the reason that public safety improved in Buckhead was because of the CID’s and Coalition’s collaboration with APD, but I have no doubt our support played a part.
But the more significant factors, in my opinion, were that Andre Dickens was elected as Atlanta’s mayor in 2021, and Darin Schierbaum was appointed as the new Chief of the APD in 2022. In these two leaders we have the qualities demanded of our times to respond, set the course, and succeed. They are making progress, but much remains to be done.
Which brings me to what I really wanted to share with you in this column. Now we all have an opportunity to contribute to the cause of a safer city or county, regardless of where we live. The Law Enforcement Strategic Support (or LESS Crime) Act was passed in the 2022 General Assembly and signed into law by Governor Kemp. The law allows Georgia taxpayers the opportunity to dedicate a portion of their state income taxes to supporting the hiring, training, retention and equipping of police officers across the state. By making a contribution into this program you receive a 1:1 state income tax credit. In Atlanta, those funds would be received by the Atlanta Police Foundation and would be invested in the APD. I encourage you to consider this opportunity to support our police with a portion of your state tax dollars.
More information can be found at www.lesscrimeact.com.
