Attention, Fayette County citizens: We have a problem.

On May 14, 2008, it was announced that the quarter-billion-dollar Fischer Crossing retail development just west of Peachtree City may be close to getting its stamp of approval from the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority (GRTA).

The development, which is scheduled for completion in 2012, will have 770,000 square feet of retail and office space on 110 acres. Coweta County has approved the site for up to 900,000 square feet. Plans for the development include a 14-screen movie theater and Sam’s Club.

Residents of Fayetteville and Fayette County should find this announcement very troubling. Once the Fischer Crossing retail development opens in 2012, one can expect that it will attract business away from the Fayette Pavilion.

One only has to look at the Shannon Mall to see the potential future of the Pavilion. The decline of the Pavilion would have a significant impact on the tax base of Fayette County.

Even before the competition that the Fischer Crossing will bring, a number of forces are causing strain on businesses in and around the Pavilion. Recently Goody’s announced the closing of its store in the Pavilion. Several other spaces in the shopping center are vacant.

Across the street from the Pavilion, in the Fayette Promenade retail center, Linens & Things announced that it is closing. The old Hi-Fi Buys store there has been vacant for sometime.

Current economic conditions are, of course, having a major impact on some businesses. There is, however, another large and growing problem that must be addressed to keep the Pavilion a viable commercial district. That problem is criminal activity.

Since announcing my candidacy for Fayette County sheriff, I have spoken to hundreds of citizens in an effort to solicit their views on public safety in the county. Many have informed me that they do not feel safe shopping in the Fayette Pavilion.

Residents have informed me that local law enforcement officers have cautioned their families and friends about shopping at the Pavilion. The Fayetteville Police Department has acknowledged that the Pavilion experiences a large number of larcenies. Residents have also informed me that they do not feel comfortable viewing movies at the Tinseltown Theatre, but instead travel to Newnan to watch a movie.

Aggressive law enforcement actions, both overt and covert, must be initiated soon to reduce the thefts that occur in the Pavilion. The rowdy behavior that occurs in the evening at the Tinseltown Theatre must be stopped. Once the thieves and rowdy individuals are forced out of the Pavilion, residents will feel comfortable shopping there.

When I am elected to serve as the sheriff of Fayette County, I will offer to join forces with local chiefs of police to initiate innovative deployment strategies aimed at apprehending criminals who commit crimes in our shopping centers. Many of these strategies are commonly used in large urban areas to suppress criminal activity.

Additionally, I will join forces with the directors of security of the major retail stores in the Pavilion, and other shopping centers, to develop crime prevention programs to protect our citizens and visitors who shop in their stores.

The next sheriff will be faced with many challenges. There will be no time for an apprentice to learn the job. Fayette County will need a qualified sheriff who has the skills, experience and education to do an effective job. There will be no time for on the job training.

Please join me in the fight to preserve our peaceful way of life. Community involvement is the key to resolving the current problems we face in our community, by working as a “TEAM,” Together Everyone Achieves More.

Dave Simmons, CPP

2008 Republican candidate for Fayette County Sheriff

Fayetteville, Ga.