Dunwoody police: No charges to be filed over antisemitic flyers

By ALEXANDER POPP alex@appenmedia.com

DUNWOODY, Ga. — Authorities have identified the Individuals responsible for distributing antisemitic flyers in Dunwoody and Sandy Springs Feb. 5, but they will not pursue charges, Dunwoody Police Chief Billy Grogan said.

Grogan told members of the Dunwoody City Council Feb. 13 the Police Department has concluded its investigation and has determined no charges can be filed in the case, because the flyers did not contain a threat or any other actionable language.

“After conducting a thorough investigation and discussing this with the District Attorney’s Office and City Solicitor’s Office there’s no charge we can make against them,” Grogan said. “It’s a free speech issue.”

The flyers, which were found on driveways around the two cities, sparked an immediate public outcry from community members and leaders statewide, including Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and state Rep. Esther Panitch.

“Welcome to being a Jew in Georgia,”

Panitch

Grogan said the city also won’t be able to cite the individuals for littering, because they don’t cite other individuals and organizations for distributing flyers, which is common in the Dunwoody area. To enforce one because they don’t like the message would expose them legally, he said.

However, Grogan did say that the individuals involved in the incident have been identified and are now on local authorities’ radar.

“I mean they posted a video online of them passing the flyers around, so we know who did it,” he said.

Since the incident, Panitch and other Georgia lawmakers have united behind House Bill 30, currently being considered at the Capitol, which would define antisemitism under Georgia law and link it to the state’s hate crimes law.

“This weekend it was my turn to be targeted,” Panitch said on the Georgia House floor Feb. 6. “We all know it might the Jews today, but the same people will come after you tomorrow.”

Arbor:

Continued from Page 1 more trees in their community, said Dave Long, urban and community forestry specialist with the Georgia Forestry Commission.

Since then, the holiday has spread “like a forest fire” and is now celebrated in all 50 states, he said.

“Unlike other holidays that celebrate something that has already happened, Arbor Day represents a hope for the future,” he said. The simple act of planting a tree, like we're doing today, represents a belief that the tree will grow to provide us with clean air and water, cooling shade, habitat for wildlife, healthier communities and endless natural beauty tree.”

To be recognized as a Tree City USA by the Arbor Day Foundation, communities must maintain a tree board or department, must have a community tree ordinance, must spend at least $2 per capita on urban forestry, and must celebrate Arbor Day.

More than 3,700 cities in the nation have been recognized with the Tree City distinction since its creation.

Dunwoody city leaders and members of the community, plant an October Glory Red Maple tree at Dunwoody Cultural Arts Center on Chamblee Dunwoody Road for Arbor Day 2023, Feb. 17.

“We are committed to protecting our tree canopy and demonstrating what it means to be a Tree City,” Dunwoody Arborist Amy Bledsoe said. “Trees provide so many benefits to our community. They increase property values, reduce stress levels and provide wildlife with important habitats.”

To learn more about the Arbor Day Foundation and the Tree City USA award, visit arborday.org.