PEACHTREE CORNERS, Ga. — Patrolling the streets is no walk in the park for Chief Edward Restrepo. Before serving as the Peachtree Corners Chief Marshal, he previously served with the Gwinnett County Police Department for more than 26 years.
He recently sounded the alarm about repeated cases of vandalism, notably at two popular shopping centers. The Forum and the parking garage at Town Center have both been hit several times in the last two months, Restrepo said.
"We've had some bad actors, looks to be mostly juveniles from what we've been able to see that are tagging," Restrepo said. "We don't have anything to believe that it's gang-related."
Taggers have touched up walls and other surfaces, while fresh gray paint covers up past graffiti. Restrepo said he's lost count of the total number of tags and is warning that those responsible could face charges.
"It gets a little unnerving, right? You don't know exactly what they're doing, and you don't know the response of the person who just saw it," Restrepo said.
The Peachtree Corners Marshal's Office said they started noticing the tagging a couple of months ago. But the criminal activity has ramped up in the last couple of weeks.
In response, the Peachtree Corners Marshal's Office, which fills in the gaps where the Gwinnett County Police Department doesn't cover and enforces local city ordinances, has invested thousands of dollars in short-term and long-term solutions.
Restrepo said the office has partnered with the Gwinnett County Police Department to install trail cams around the parking garage and nearby walking path. More high-tech, hard-wire cams will feature motion detection, geo-fencing and a speaker system to curb crime there.
"When things move, we get an alert depending on how we want it to sense it," Restrepo said. "Eventually, we’ll have the capability to talk through it. So if we see large people gathering for a long time, we could come through a speaker and ask what they were up to. I’d suggest you to leave, or you’ll meet me here shortly.”
Restrepo said those responsible are kids and teens under 18, and he will contact their families in the coming weeks. Some could eventually face time in the juvenile justice system. Restrepo urged anyone who witnesses the taggers in action to come forward and report it.