I have lived in Peachtree City for more than two years. My wife and I selected Peachtree City for the amenities it offers, its focus on family life, and its safety. In 1999, Peachtree City had the lowest crime rate of any Atlanta metro area suburb. This is in large part to our highly trained, and proactive police department.

Thus, when someone misconstrues facts and disparages the image of the Peachtree City Police Department (“PCPD”) with such gross inaccuracies, I feel it incumbent upon myself to respond.

In his letter in the March 15 issue of The Citizen, Mr. Carl Thompson's unsupported assumption that the PCPD does not issue warnings is at the very least disingenuous. The PCPD did in fact write approximately 8,400 tickets in 1998, and about 6,800 tickets in 1999.

However, what Mr. Thompson failed to point out was that the PCPD issued 5,200 warnings in 1998 and issued 4,700 warnings in 1999. Which means that contrary to Mr. Thompson's opinion, which states in pertinent part “... don't expect to get a warning,” in 1998 the PCPD issued warnings 38 percent of the time and in 1999 issued warnings 40 percent of the time. Such percentages are significantly disparate from what Mr. Thompson would have us believe.

Moreover, Mr. Thompson appears to be baffled by the ratio of police patrol cars owned by the city versus the number of officers on duty at any one time. In 1998, Peachtree City began a take-home vehicle program for officers who live in the city. This is a program that is used in most jurisdictions in Fayette County and is a program that is widespread throughout the state.

The take-home vehicle program has been shown to reduce the overall costs of vehicle maintenance by not having a patrol car on the road 24 hours a day. As the PCPD spent less than it was budgeted for the fiscal year ending September 1999, it is highly unlikely that the PCPD would just have 20 cars sitting around collecting rust. Putting police cars in the driveways of various neighborhoods throughout the city, in addition to the regular patrols, is a further step towards reducing crime. Reduction of crime is something that any citizen of Peachtree City can support.

Mr. Thompson also expresses confusion as to why Peachtree City is building a new police facility. Perhaps I can provide Mr. Thompson with a non-exhaustive list of reasons for the new police facility.

First, as Mr. Thompson alludes, the present facility is too small for the current number of officers. Not only does the police department have need for more space, but all of the other city departments housed in the same building are in need of more space.

Second, the current population of Peachtree City is just over 33,000 people. According to Mr. Thompson's figures, the PCPD has 55 officers. These figures give us the ratio of one police officer for every 600 citizens. Optimally, the ratio should be closer to one officer for every 400 citizens.

It follows that the aforementioned less-than-optimal ratio combined with the likely increase in the city's population shall lead to an increase in the size of the PCPD. Failure to foresee such an increase in the police department's size would be of great detriment to Peachtree City.

Third, the training facilities for a department the size of the PCPD are inadequate. Officers are having to do some training in the parking lot. A failure to properly train its officers will leave Peachtree City open for potential lawsuits.

Fourth, prisoners are removed from the patrol cars in the same parking lot where citizens enter the lower floor of the library. Not having prisoners in such close proximity to a location where children gather is probably in the best interest of the city and the citizens.

Fifth, the new facility will permit the PCPD to continue having all of its assets and resources in a single centralized location. Such organization will permit the PCPD to maintain its average response time of less than four minutes. Quick police response is certainly something that any citizen of Peachtree City can support.

Pursuant to Mr. Thompson's reference to Peachtree City as a speed trap, I visited www.speedtrap.com. The website is not an objective compilation of statistical data. It is merely a forum for people to complain. The total of information about Peachtree City amounted to three entries from March 1998.

The most interesting part of the website was the portion that stated in pertinent part: “This page in no way encourages speeding and recommends that you always follow the posted speed limit. You are responsible for your own actions.” I am sure that if Mr. Thompson follows the advice of the very page which he cited he will take responsibility for his own actions.

The “rules of the road” are there for our safety. If you don't agree with the rules, don't condemn those who are charged with enforcing them. Take your case to the legislative body that created those rules.

G. Robert Williams II

Peachtree City

[Williams is an attorney practicing in Newnan.]

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