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Citizens getting involved In Fairburn’s public safety

By BEN NELMS
bnelms@TheCitizenNews.com

Fairburn’s historic district neighborhood really means business. So does Fairburn Police and the city’s elected officials. Nearly two dozen neighbors, police, firefighters and elected officials met Sunday to continue to process designed to make Fairburn’s historic district an increasingly safer place to live.

Central to the meeting was the aim to develop a strategy and action plan for the neighborhood area in support of the city’s public safety efforts. In attendance at the meeting, Chief Charles Long reviewed steps residents can take to continue their involvement and help officers target criminal behavior.

The continued assistance from neighbors by reporting suspicious or unusual local activity helps police track even potential criminal behavior that may stem from trespassing or loitering, Long said.

Neighborhood residents already take responsibility for communicating with each other through emails and by watching when their neighbors are on vacation.

“We need to be observant of what’s going on in the neighborhood and on the street,” said Neighborhood Watch member Roberta Smith, noting the logs kept by residents that documents various types of activities in the area.

Residents cited a several recent instances where criminal or potential criminal activity had taken place in the historic district. The concern in their words and on their faces was impossible to miss.

Though acknowledging that the stationing of an officer in the neighborhood was not possible, residents and police agreed that the continued willingness of neighbors to maintain an awareness of circumstances, even subtle ones, in the area and reporting those activities to police goes and in hand with solving crimes and preventing others from occurring.

“People in any neighborhood fall into the habit of seeing things and letting them go until a larger incident takes place,” said Long. “But you’ve got some good eyes in your neighborhood so I don’t think you’re going to let this happen. This is the best organized group of any neighborhood in Fairburn.”

Regardless the area, it is always helpful to officers, said Long, to be able to obtain a description of the suspicious person or vehicle along with a tag number. those types of reports from residents can help officers begin interceding before a crime is committed. Once a crime is committed it is extremely important for any resident witnessing that crime to make the initial call to law enforcement.

Reporting is not limited to contact with police, Long added. Noting the limitations of police where juveniles are concerned, Long suggested residents also report cases of crimes and trespassing to Georgia Dept. of Family and Children’s Services (DFACS).

The group met with Long during the July 11 council meeting after several neighborhood residents addressed their concerns to the mayor and council. Attending the July 17 Neighborhood Watch meeting were Mayor Betty Hannah and council member Roy Farr, Tri-Cities Narcotics Task Force Director J. Midkiff, other officers and firefighters. The historic district Neighborhood Watch group will meet monthly.