Category: Public Safety

Crane partly blocks Buckhead’s Peachtree Road in latest construction tie-up

by John Ruch | Dec 18, 2018 | Buckhead Reporter, Public Safety | 0

A broken-down crane at a Buckhead construction site has blocked lanes Peachtree Road for days without proper permits, according to the Georgia Department of Transportation. A stop-work order has been issued until the crane is gone, GDOT says. It’s the latest traffic tie-up caused by work on residential towers around Peachtree and Pharr roads, which has drawn local residents’ complaints for months. The crane was working on the Sutton apartment tower site at 2965 Peachtree. The Sutton’s developer, Preserve Place, was not immediately available for comment. But the construction contractor, Gilbane Building Company, issued a statement saying an unnamed...

Recent school threats topic of Dec. 20 community meeting in Dunwoody

by Dyana Bagby | Dec 18, 2018 | Brookhaven Reporter, Dunwoody Reporter, Public Safety | 0

The recent spate of threats against Dunwoody schools will be discussed at a Dec. 20 community meeting beginning at 6 p.m. at Dunwoody City Hall, 4800 Ashford-Dunwoody Road. Dunwoody Police posted notice of the meeting on Dec. 20 via social media. “The Dunwoody Police Department in cooperation with the DeKalb County School District Police and the DeKalb County School District will host a community meeting with parents and other interested individuals in the recent threats called into many of the schools located in Dunwoody,” the notice states. Presentations will be given and there will be time for a question-and-answer...

Funeral for DeKalb Police officer killed in line of duty to be held in Dunwoody

by Dyana Bagby | Dec 17, 2018 | Dunwoody Reporter, Public Safety | 0

A funeral service for the DeKalb County Police officer killed last week in the line of duty will be held Tuesday, Dec. 18, at 11 a.m. at All Saints Catholic Church, 2443 Mount Vernon Road in Dunwoody. City officials are asking residents plan ahead because there will be heavy traffic delays in the areas near the church before and after the ceremony. Officer Edgar Flores, 24, was killed Dec. 13 during a traffic stop on Candler Road near I-20. The suspect was later killed after opening fire on other officers, including shooting a police canine. Flores had been with...

Brookhaven Police officer nabs suspected porch thief

by Dyana Bagby | Dec 17, 2018 | Brookhaven Reporter, Public Safety | 0

An off-duty Brookhaven Police officer nabbed a suspect over the weekend for allegedly stealing packages from residents’ front porches. The packages, including Christmas presents, were returned to their owners, according to city officials. Sgt. Charles McCoy was driving home about 7 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 15, after his shift when he saw a person running from a house’s front porch with a package off Coosawatee Drive near Cartecay Drive. The suspect then tried to drive away, but McCoy pulled him over. Police said the suspect, Isaiah Gresham of Marietta, had a pile of open packages in the back seat...

Chief Grogan celebrates 10 years with Dunwoody

by Dyana Bagby | Dec 17, 2018 | Dunwoody Reporter, Public Safety | 0

Dunwoody Police Chief Billy Grogan was treated to a surprise party at City Hall on Dec. 17 to honor his 10th anniversary leading the city’s police department. Mayor Denis Shortal, City Council members, former city leaders, city staff and officers were on hand for the celebration. Grogan was one of the city’s first hires after it officially incorporated a decade ago, on Dec. 1, 2008. He led the hiring and formation of the police department that officially went to work at midnight on April 1, 2009. A decade ago, the police department had 40 officers and today has 62...

Transform 285/400 traffic changes through Dec. 23

by John Ruch | Dec 14, 2018 | Brookhaven Reporter, Buckhead Reporter, Dunwoody Reporter, Public Safety, Sandy Springs Reporter | 0

The Georgia Department of Transportation has announced the latest round of lane and ramp closures and other traffic changes for Transform 285/400, its massive project to reconstruct the I-285/Ga. 400 interchange. Schedules may change based on the work and the weather. Ga. 400 ramp closures Dec. 18-19: Southbound ramp to I-285 westbound closed, 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. Dec. 21-22: Westbound ramp to I-285 eastbound closed, 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. Ga. 400 lane closures Dec. 14-15: Southbound between Pitts Road and Spalding Drive, two right lanes, 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. Dec. 15-16: Northbound between North Springs MARTA...

Dunwoody sees improved ambulance service

by Dyana Bagby | Dec 14, 2018 | Dunwoody Reporter, Public Safety, Top Stories | 0

Dunwoody officials say an agreement worked out with DeKalb County to ensure quicker ambulance response times to address ongoing service concerns in the city appears to be working after its first month in action. The news comes as DeKalb County extended its contract with its controversial ambulance service provider for another six months. The DeKalb Board of Commissioners voted Dec. 11 to extend DeKalb Fire Rescue’s contract with American Medical Response until June 30, 2019. AMR’s five-year contract with the county was set to expire Dec. 31. The extension is needed as county officials continue to work with a...

Court dismisses false-alarm lawsuit against Sandy Springs; industry may appeal

by John Ruch | Dec 13, 2018 | Public Safety, Sandy Springs Reporter, Top Stories | 0

A federal court has dismissed a security industry lawsuit against Sandy Springs’ new false-alarm ordinance, saying there is no evidence it violates the company’s constitutional rights by fining them for customers’ mistakes. A security industry official says there is a “high probability” of appealing the dismissal. The city’s attempt to crack down on false burglar and fire alarms with a new ordinance passed last year has shaken the security industry as a possible national model. The city says it gets thousands of alarm calls a year, of which about 99 percent are false, tying up police officers and firefighters...

Two more suspects charged in fatal Brookhaven shooting

by Dyana Bagby | Dec 11, 2018 | Brookhaven Reporter, Public Safety, Top Stories | 0

Two more suspects in a Nov. 30 double shooting that left one person dead have been arrested and charged with murder, according to Brookhaven Police. Stephen Dominique McAllister, 24, and Quintez Martavious Griffin, 31, both of Atlanta, were taken into custody with the assistance of the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Marshal’s Service, according to a Dec. 11 press release. McAllister and Griffin are charged with one count each of felony murder, aggravated assault, armed robbery, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. A third suspect, Pierre Gregory Singletary, 34, turned himself in to Brookhaven...

Brookhaven unveils design of new public safety building to overlook Peachtree Creek Greenway

by Dyana Bagby | Dec 9, 2018 | Brookhaven Reporter, Public Safety, Real Estate, Top Stories | 0

The new Brookhaven public safety building to be built behind Northeast Plaza overlooking the Peachtree Creek Greenway includes outside patio areas and walls covered in glass windows. The building will house the police department and municipal court facilities and include public restrooms and a community meeting space. The preliminary designs of the two-story and nearly 34,000 square foot building were presented to the City Council during its Nov. 27 work session by representatives from Rosser International Inc. The city awarded Rosser an $800,000 contract for architecture and engineering of the new facility. Because Georgia Power easements and power lines...

Sandy Springs fire marshal to use new software for inspections

by Evelyn Andrews | Dec 9, 2018 | Public Safety, Sandy Springs Reporter | 0

The Sandy Springs Fire Department plans to start using third-party software to track fire safety equipment inspections after receiving approval from the City Council Dec. 4. The software is free to the city and passes the cost along to state-licensed inspectors. It is expected to save the Fire Marshal’s office time by eliminating some paperwork and data entry, said Doug Brown, the division commander of the city’s Fire Marshal’s office, during a presentation at the council meeting. The Fire Marshal oversees inspections of fire safety equipment, like sprinklers and fire alarms, for commercial buildings. “The more time we can send...

Transform 285/400 traffic changes through Dec. 17

by John Ruch | Dec 7, 2018 | Brookhaven Reporter, Buckhead Reporter, Dunwoody Reporter, Public Safety, Sandy Springs Reporter | 0

The Georgia Department of Transportation has announced the latest round of lane and ramp closures and other traffic changes for Transform 285/400, its massive project to reconstruct the I-285/Ga. 400 interchange. Schedules may change based on the work and the weather. Ga. 400 ramp closure Dec. 10-11: Northbound ramp to I-285 eastbound closed, 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. Ga. 400 lane closures Dec. 7-8: Northbound between Hammond Drive and Mount Vernon Highway, two left lanes, 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. Dec. 7-8: Northbound and southbound between Glenridge Connector and Pitts Road, alternating one right lane and one left lane,...

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