New Zone Commander Provides Update on LMMNA Crime, Safety
Maj. Andrew Senzer, the new APD Zone 2 commander, came to address our quarterly meeting Wednesday, Feb. 5, along with Capt. Anthony Singh, the assistant zone commander.
Maj. Senzer shared several safety updates, including this about the homeless issue and issue with camps near our neighborhood:
He has been meeting with Georgia Department of Transportation officials on this topic
GDOT has agreed to complete and finalize a Memorandum of Understanding with the city; this is being done by a person named Stacy Keys at GDOT
Also being driven by Atlanta City Councilmember Jennifer Ide and city Legal Department
This MOU will give APD officers authority to serve as "an agent for arrests" or similar language on behalf of GDOT for trespassing violations
Related: Our neighborhood partner, the Atlanta Neighborhood Safety Coalition, sent a letter to DOT in October 2019 about our shared concerns. We later received the following response from GDOT in December 2019. We continue to monitor this issue closely and work with other neighborhood associations to keep this topic front-and-center.
If you want our FULL BACKSTORY on this issue (going back many years), then here are our working notes. Rest assured, it’s a complex and thorny issue and we’re all very sensitive to the needs of our homeless in Atlanta.
Neighbor issues being tracked by LMMNA board:
Homelessness: The HOPE Team came out to begin a survey and headcount of homeless in Zone 2 Maj. Senzer said he will share their report with us so we have data/statistics from 2020
Trail Safety: Capt. Singh said APD stopped patrolling the trails several months ago, even though board members and South Fork Conservancy officials were told by Sgt. Severance that they were still underway this past fall. This has been handed over to "The PATH Task Force," and they're supposed to come up with new patrol system for the trails. He said he will report on the status. Currently, no patrol, though.
Mail theft: Police made an arrest in past few days that may have been a major culprit. Still gathering info. For now, still report mail theft to APD and to USPS. They respond together, according to Maj. Senzer.
Cut-Through Traffic: Maj. Senzer has agreed to take a fresh look at our through-traffic in LMM and will ask for a new traffic study to be conducted. This will determine if we can have new signage or traffic calming measures on certain streets.
Club Allure: This club on Cheshire Bridge has been monitored consistently since our neighborhood began having issues with parking, loitering, and litter. Officers found it was open and operating on a recent Sunday, so they notified the APD license and permitting team. The club will be issued a "due cause" citation at the February 2020 License Review Board meeting. This may effectively create an embargo for the current business to operate on this property. (See the November 2018 issue of LMMNA Neighbor for more back story.)
The Goat Club: The owners of this proposed restaurant and bar (site of old New Baby Products) have withdrawn its original liquor license request filed with city License Review Board and has reapplied for construction and building permits operating as a restaurant. Two of the three owners plus their attorney came to speak to LMMNA on Feb. 5 and answer questions. They plan to go before the NPU-F meeting on Feb. 17.
Other general updates from Zone 2:
About 95% of our crimes are property crimes
Chief Erika Shields is now bringing investigators from all APD zones together to meet once/twice a week
Investigators still work independently in their zones, but are now comparing notes to watch for trends and overlaps in crime
APD narcotics unit has been disbanded. All those officers re-assigned to Auto Crime, the APEX Unit, and the Fugitive Unit. (The APEX Unit focuses on violent crime and gun control.)