An ambitious plan to pay offduty Atlanta police officers to conduct freelance patrols for Kirkwood is close to going off the rails, at least for the time being, according to sources close to the project.
To fly, the Kirkwood Safety Patrol (KSP) needs 100 subscribers at $250 a year ($300 for businesses), but so far the campaign has only netted 40 subscribers. And there's not much time left. The KSP needs to have all 100 subscribers on board by Jan. 25 in order to be able to launch, as planned, on Feb. 1.
With the neighborhood seeing a 16 percent rise in home burglaries and a smaller increase in car break-ins, the time seems ripe for what is a growing trend in gentrifying urban neighborhoods. But the hesitation may have several sources: APD's Zone 6 HQ is already in the neighborhood, though regular police patrols seem infrequent. The cost, though certainly reasonable, may well be too high for a large percentage of our households.
The problem with this kind of simmering crime is that prosecution is tough. Visible patrols and faster response are probably more likely to drive criminals away, or at least make them think twice about trying something. It's crunch time for Kirkwood, and whether or not the KSP gets off the ground will reveal much about the mindset of our community.
If you are interested in more information or instructions on how to subscribe, click here and then click on "Kirkwood Security Patrol" under the Documents tag.
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