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Newnan company offers $10K for equipment damage
Police describe opponents of the Atlanta police and fire training facility as ruthless and dangerous. Law enforcement officials say their destruction has cost companies and police agencies millions of dollars in damaged equipment in at least four states across the country.
ATLANTA - Opponents of the Atlanta police and fire training facility have been described by police as ruthless and dangerous.
Law enforcement officials say their destruction has cost companies and police agencies millions of dollars in damaged equipment in at least four states across the country.
Brent Scarborough and Company, Inc. owns the construction equipment that police say was torched and damaged by vandals believed to be opposed to the Atlanta police and fire public training facility.
Clayton County police say the equipment was set on fire last month here on Poston Road.
The Atlanta police chief talked about the problem last week.
"These individuals have placed citizens’ lives in danger. They are working hard to make sure that first responders are not there when they are called upon by callers to 911," Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum said.
The chief says the small group, opposed to the project they call "cop city," has torched construction equipment and damaged police cruisers and property, causing millions of dollars in losses in Atlanta, Gwinnett, Dekalb and now Clayton counties, in addition to Michigan, Minnesota and New York.
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Vandals target construction firm linked to training center
Vandals hit a construction firm connected to work at the controversial training center for Atlanta police and first responders. Police say someone damaged hundreds of thousands of dollars-worth of equipment at the clayton site of Brent Scarbrough and Company.
Officials say the arsonists' end goal is to stop construction of the $90 million, state-of-the-art training facility that will sit in DeKalb County.
These newly released aerials show construction workers are making significant progress despite the naysayers.
"Not only are the losses of equipment important, there's families attached to those drivers, those construction workers, every one of those families are affected, especially in this Christmas season," Georgia Insurance Commissioner John King exclaimed.
The subcontractor, Brent Scarborough and Company, is offering a $10,000 reward in their case.
That money is in addition to the eye-opening $200,000 the city, state and federal partners announced earlier this month.
"This is a significant increase in reward money because it is that important. The next fire could cause someone to lose their life," the chief said.
If you have any information about these cases of vandalism, please give the police a call.