ATLANTA — Following the Nov. 20 Lenox Square shooting that left one man injured, Buckhead Coalition leaders promised to unveil an enhanced security plan for the community, "within the coming weeks."
The November incident marked the sixth shooting at the upscale shopping center in the past 12 months, including one that involved an officer. According to police, the Nov. 20 shooting occurred inside the Apple Store, located near the Peachtree Road entrance to the shopping mall.
Atlanta Police Officer Anthony Grant said the man who was shot was struck in the rear following an argument with a group of male suspects. The victim was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital for treatment of his injuries, Grant said.
On Wednesday, officials with the Buckhead Coalition, together with other community groups, local businesses, the Atlanta Police Department, along with members of the Atlanta City Council, Fulton County Commission, and the mayor's office, unveiled "The Buckhead Security Plan."
According to a release, the plan includes near-term as well as longer-term actions designed to increase the safety and security of Buckhead residents, people who work in the Buckhead community as well as those visiting Buckhead.
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Click here to read full details of The Buckhead Security Plan.
The release says the plan has been divided into two major categories for action: Deterrence & Enforcement and Policy & Procedural Change.
The release says the first category includes five major areas of focus:
- Operation Shield Expansion - The goal is to develop a strategic Buckhead grid that includes a series of pan-tilt-zoom cameras and license plate readers to cover all major travel corridors and intersections. This focus area is covered by the Atlanta Police Foundation, Atlanta Police Department, and Livable Buckhead.
- Crime Stoppers Investment - This area is designed to fund and promote a more robust Crime Stoppers Atlanta program to yield more information about crimes and criminals that leads to quicker arrests. This focus area is covered by the Atlanta Police Foundation and Buckhead Coalition.
- Dedicated Buckhead Supplemental Security Force - The goal of this area is to fund and operate a coordinated security patrol consisting of extra-duty officers from the Atlanta Police Department, the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office, the Georgia State Patrol, and private security firms, within the commercial and residential areas of Buckhead. This area is championed by Buckhead Coalition, Atlanta Police Foundation, Atlanta Police Department, Livable Buckhead, Buckhead Council of Neighborhoods.
- Clean Car Campaign - This area will examine the existing Clean Car Campaign for effectiveness and modify it as needed to meet the current conditions in Buckhead. It is spearheaded by Livable Buckhead and the Atlanta Police Department.
- Technology will investigate additional means to enhance and supplement enforcement efforts, piloting their use in Buckhead for potential throughout the rest of the city. It will be championed by the Atlanta Police Foundation.
According to the release, the Policy & Procedural Change portion of the plan includes 20 objectives geared toward increasing support for and coordinating with entities responsible for such efforts as noise ordinance enforcement, identifying license and permit violations.
Implementation of the plan, according to the news release, will use both public and private sector support, but over time, will tend to lean more on public support, in order to avoid an over-reliance on private sector contributions.