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Palmetto changes policing tactics

By BEN NELMS
bnelms@TheCitizenNews.com

Patrolling a city only 5.2 square miles in size, Palmetto Police formerly used a city-wide approach to public safety. But times are changing, said Chief Bobby Fronebarger. And that change is relative to the influx of people and the concerns that accompany an area transitioning from a quiet little town to one that sits in the crosshairs of the rapidly spreading Atlanta megalopolis. Those changes, especially in drug-related criminal activity, led to the recent implementation of a zone approach to policing.

To put the town’s growth in perspective, Palmetto’s population was 2,612 in 1990, 3,207 in 2000, estimated at 3,710 in 2003 and by 2004 it was estimated at more than 4,000. Estimates by Atlanta Regional Commission put the city’s population at 6,000 by 2010 and more than 10,000 by 2025. Bearing no relation to an island, Palmetto is located in the midst of a burgeoning population influx in southwest metro Atlanta and is adjacent to increasing traffic along I-85.

It is precisely the changes in population in the city and surrounding area and the variables that accompany the transition that led to the redeployment of existing force levels. Under the city-wide patrol methodology officers had no assigned areas to patrol. But under the zone approach, officers can concentrate their patrols in designated areas where reported or suspected criminal activity occurs. The zone approach, said Fronebarger, is much like the old “beat” approach once used in cities across America.

“I’m an advocate of zoning. It adds continuity and helps officers become more familiar with an area, and especially with residents. With increased familiarity it’s easier for officers to notice changes in a particular area,” said Fronebarger. “And that’s important when criminal activity becomes embedded in an area. Under this model, the officer becomes embedded in the community. And zone policing allows us to concentrate on designated areas of concern.”

Having an embedded officer that aggressively patrols an area helps offset the attempts of criminal behavior, especially drug-related activity. This occurs because the officer gains an increased familiarity with neighborhood issues, patterns and problems and is more aware of conditions in the area and is more aware of the community’s needs, he said. All this leads to the officer’s contribution to the well-being of the area, Fronebarger added.

Whether in Palmetto or any rapidly growing community, the advent of drug use and drug dealing requires that law enforcement agencies pay particular care to conduct investigations thoroughly and conscientiously so that the cases they make can be successfully prosecuted.

“It’s frustrating for police and for citizens when it seems to take forever to resolve the drug issue. And I share in that frustration,” Fronebarger said. “But we know that to effectively fight crime and obtain successful prosecutions, we must follow the process that leads to that success.”

That process is often time consuming, one that can take months, not days, Fronebarger said. It begins with obtaining information that is reported to a senior officer, analyzed and never ignored, he said. If drug-related, the information is forwarded to the Tri-Cities Drug Task Force for additional assistance. Mere suspicion today is not sufficient to make an arrest and make it stick, he emphasized. Probable cause is the order of the day. Making arrests that stick requires an appropriate amount of surveillance, compiling relevant information from informants, respecting the suspect’s constitutional rights and exhausting other means before the cuffs ever go on, he said.

“Otherwise, he’s back on the street in a matter of days,” said Fronebarger. “This can even happen when you do it right. And with the drug business as lucrative as it is, some people quickly return to it, even after an arrest.”

Both a realist and an optimist, Fronebarger recognizes that a significant percentage of crime today stems from drug-related activity. It is that activity, he said, that is likely to be specifically impacted as Palmetto police move forward with the zone approach.

“I believe that once zone policing is established in the area, drug-related crime will decrease,” he said.