Atlanta looking into rehiring retired officers to patrol city parks
Atlanta leaders pitch park duty to retired officers
In the wake of the brutal murder of a woman in Piedmont Park, Atlanta residents are calling on police to protect that and other parks throughout the city. But it is a daunting task given the number of parks and the number of current police on the force. A police commander provided a briefing to city leaders.
ATLANTA - Two recent murders inside Atlanta parks have citizens calling for more security. City leaders have been trying to find the best way to respond to the public outcry.
The bodies of 40-year-old Katie Janness and her partner’s dog Bowie were found just inside Piedmont Park at the 10th Street and Charles Allen entrance on July 28. Just four days earlier, 17-year-old Jakari Dillard, a rising senior at Life Christian Academy, was shot following an argument with a suspect at the Anderson Park pool.
Both incidents have rattled city residents who use the more than 3,000 acres of parklands and 33 recreational centers on a daily basis. But the calls to increase security were being heard by the Atlanta City Council well before these two deadly incidents.
Back in May, just ahead of the busy Memorial Day weekend, Councilman Michael Bond introduced a bill that would commit full-time officers to patrol the city's parks. But with more than 300 individual green spaces, it might be unrealistic to have every park get the same level of security. The councilman said he understands this.
Bond asked, and a police commander agreed to survey hundreds of retired police officers who still would be young enough to serve exclusively at the parks. Deputy Chief Darin Schierbaum briefed Bond and other members of the public safety panel on the responses. Nineteen retirees, so far, have said they would be willing to return.
In addition to paying a salary, Schierbaum said, the Atlanta Police Department would have to supply the infrastructure for the proposed park force -- cars and supervisors.
Bond asked him to proceed with an analysis of which major city parks show the highest crime numbers, and ultimately place the officers in those spots.
The council is looking into bolstering surveillance cameras, especially around Piedmont Park, considered the city's crown jewel of green space. Right now, the nearly 200-acre park only has nine cameras, one of which was not even working the night Janness was killed.
WATCH: FOX 5 Atlanta live news coverage
_____
Sign up for FOX 5 email alerts
Download the FOX 5 Atlanta app for breaking news and weather alerts.