Public Safety - Reporter Newspapers

Gov. Kemp to issue statewide shelter-in-place order, close schools through current year

by John Ruch | Apr 1, 2020 | Brookhaven Reporter, Buckhead Reporter, Coronavirus, Dunwoody Reporter, Education, Public Safety, Sandy Springs Reporter, Top Stories | 0

Gov. Brian Kemp will issue a statewide shelter-in-place order and order public schools to remain closed through the end of the school year in response to the coronavirus pandemic, he announced April 1 in a televised press conference. The shelter-in-place order will run April 3 through 13, Kemp said. He said details are in the works and will be announced April 2. Kemp had been under political pressure to issue such an order, including from some local cities. Controversy arose when his chief of staff recently blasted such orders as an “overreach.” Kemp previously ordered schools to remain closed...

Atlanta Police report four members with COVID-19; other local departments report none

by John Ruch | Apr 1, 2020 | Brookhaven Reporter, Buckhead Reporter, Coronavirus, Dunwoody Reporter, Public Safety, Sandy Springs Reporter, Top Stories | 0

The Atlanta Police Department reported four officers or staff members diagnosed with the COVID-19 coronavirus disease as of March 27. Meanwhile, other local police departments report no cases on their forces so far. APD’s first known COVID-19 case was an officer who worked at police headquarters downtown. APD is declining to say where the other affected employees worked, citing privacy. APD’s ability to police the city is not affected, the department says. The Brookhaven and Dunwoody police departments have not had any officers tested for or diagnosed with COVID-19, according to spokespeople. Sandy Springs Police Department spokesperson Sgt. Salvador...

Rabid raccoon found on Brookhaven/Chamblee border

by John Ruch | Apr 1, 2020 | Brookhaven Reporter, Dunwoody Reporter, Public Safety | 0

A rabid raccoon was found March 28 in the area of Gainsborough Drive and Chamblee-Dunwoody Road on the Brookhaven/Chamblee border, according to DeKalb County. The area where the raccoon was found is about a quarter-mile from Dunwoody’s Georgetown neighborhood as well. Rabies is a fatal viral disease spread through saliva, typically by animal bites. Animals can be infected at any time of year. Residents should make sure pets are up to date for preventative vaccination and should eliminate outdoor feeding stations and access to garbage cans, DeKalb County said in a press release. Anyone who has been bitten or...

Local police departments field complaints about pandemic emergency order violations

by John Ruch | Apr 1, 2020 | Brookhaven Reporter, Buckhead Reporter, Coronavirus, Dunwoody Reporter, Public Safety, Sandy Springs Reporter, Top Stories | 0

Local police departments have begun fielding complaints about violations of pandemic emergency orders. Most say they have not issued citations yet. People gathering in parks in violation of social-distancing orders have been a common concern in Brookhaven, Dunwoody and Sandy Springs, say police officials. Maj. Andrew Senzer, the commander of Buckhead’s Zone 2 Atlanta Police Department precinct, did not respond to questions about citations, but circulated an email March 25 about the issue in parks. “As I drove around today, I observed that many of the parks and recreational facilities had fairly robust crowds, including individuals playing tennis,” Senzer...

Atlanta mayor says stay-at-home order likely to be extended; parks, BeltLine staying open

by Collin Kelley | Mar 31, 2020 | Buckhead Reporter, Coronavirus, Politics, Public Safety, Top Stories | 0

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms says her stay-at-home order for the coronavirus pandemic would likely be extended beyond its original April 6 deadline. Meanwhile, she is keeping city parks and the Atlanta BeltLine open, despite some complaints of crowding there. She made the comment March 31 during a conference call with the Atlanta City Council to provide an update on the city’s coronavirus response. As the number of COVID-19 cases continue to rise across the country, President Trump has already extended social distancing guidelines until the end of April. The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Georgia jumped to...

What your local ‘stay at home’ orders say

by John Ruch | Mar 29, 2020 | Brookhaven Reporter, Buckhead Reporter, Coronavirus, Dunwoody Reporter, Public Safety, Sandy Springs Reporter | 0

All Reporter Newspapers communities are under some form of “stay at home” or “shelter in place” order due to the coronavirus pandemic, and most are under at least two with differing details. Click your areas below for details about the orders that apply to you. Meanwhile, the gist is likely more important than details: Only go out if you need to, and stay at least 6 feet away from anyone else when you do. And if you’re sick, don’t go out until you’re well. State of Georgia (soon to to be much broader, according to Gov. Brian Kemp) DeKalb...

Transform 285/400 traffic changes through April 4

by John Ruch | Mar 27, 2020 | 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 March 27 and April 1-4, 9 p.m. to 5 a.m., southbound ramp to I-285 westbound closed. March 27, 9 p.m. to 5 a.m., southbound ramp to Hammond Drive closed. April 1-3, 9 p.m. to 5 a.m., northbound ramp to Abernathy Road eastbound closed. April 2-4, 9 p.m. to 5 a.m., northbound ramp to I-285...

Second suspect arrested in Feb. 10 shooting at Lenox Square mall

by John Ruch | Mar 26, 2020 | Buckhead Reporter, Public Safety, Top Stories | 0

The second and final suspect sought in the Feb. 10 shooting of a man at Buckhead’s Lenox Square mall is in custody, according to the Atlanta Police Department. The victim, a Jonesboro man, was shot after meeting someone in the parking lot of the 3393 Peachtree Road mall, according to APD. In the incident two suspects appeared to take a suitcase from a car the victim sat in for a time. The victim survived, according to APD. Tyreese Brown, 23, was arrested by the Georgia State Patrol on March 25 and is in custody in Monroe County, according to...

A second Atlanta Police officer is diagnosed with COVID-19; others being tested

by John Ruch | Mar 25, 2020 | Buckhead Reporter, Coronavirus, Public Safety, Top Stories | 0

A second Atlanta Police Department officer has been diagnosed with the COVID-19 coronavirus disease, and a “small number” of others are awaiting tests or quarantined due to a family member’s symptoms, according to APD. APD says its ability to enforce the law is not compromised. Officers will soon have protective masks, and arrestees heading to jail will be required to wear masks, said APD spokesperson Carlos Campos. APD announced March 21 that an officer who works in police headquarters downtown had COVID-19. The newly diagnosed officer “works in the field,” according to APD, which did not immediately respond to...

Buckhead CID to launch security patrol, more cameras in $300K crime response

by John Ruch | Mar 25, 2020 | Buckhead Reporter, Perimeter Business, Public Safety, Top Stories | 0

The Buckhead Community Improvement District aims to launch a new security patrol vehicle and add more surveillance cameras in a nearly $300,000 response to shootings that drew the attention of the police chief and others. The investment of up to $297,000 in spending on “safety measures” was approved in three items at the March 25 meeting of the BCID board, which was held via teleconference due to the coronavirus pandemic. BCID Executive Director Jim Durrett, speaking of one set of new cameras, said the Atlanta Police Department suggested them “to help them address the situation here in Buckhead, and...

Sandy Springs urges voluntary sheltering in place and business shutdown; may become mandatory

by John Ruch | Mar 24, 2020 | Coronavirus, Politics, Public Safety, Sandy Springs Reporter, Top Stories | 0

Sandy Springs city leaders “insist” that residents voluntarily shelter in place and that non-essential businesses shut down, or the coronavirus pandemic restrictions may become mandatory, said Mayor Rusty Paul in a March 24 statement. The city government in recent days has taken some emergency shutdown steps, including limiting restaurants to takeout and delivery; shuttering bars and gyms; and closing city facilities and parks. It has been less restrictive than Atlanta and Brookhaven, which recently issued formal shelter-in-place and broad business closure orders, among other provisions. Gov. Brian Kemp on March 23 issued new emergency orders requiring some people at...

Brookhaven orders residents to shelter in place, sets curfew; asks governor for statewide version

by John Ruch | Mar 24, 2020 | Brookhaven Reporter, Coronavirus, Politics, Public Safety, Slideshow, Top Stories | 0

The Brookhaven City Council has ordered residents to shelter in place through April 15 and declared a 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew — both with various exceptions — in response to the coronavirus pandemic. And it called on Gov. Brian Kemp to issue a similar statwide shelter-in-place order. “So everyone stay the heck at home,” said Mayor John Ernst upon passage of the emergency ordinance at a March 24 meeting held by teleconference and livestreamed on Facebook for safety. The pandemic has been personal to Brookhaven, where a City Hall employee fell ill with the COVID-19 disease about...