Sandy Springs Crier - October 12, 2023

Page 1

This is the only account Sandy Springs Police provided about an incident that took place at an apartment complex last year. The document is coded “Person Dead” and includes the name of the victim and two suspects. It also includes the names of two others but doesn’t specify whether they were witnesses, victims or suspects. The report

Perimeter businesses feel grind of gridlock

does not identify the officers who responded to the call and provides no details on whether the incident was a homicide or an accident. It makes no mention of any arrests.

More about Appen Media’s campaign to inform Sandy Springs residents about crime in their city, Pages 3-10

October 12, 2023 | AppenMedia .com | An Appen Media Group Publication | 50¢ | Volume 2, No. 41
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“On 12/11/2022, I responded to a person shot at 1208 Cimarron Pkwy.”

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Traffic woes sting Perimeter market

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Sandy Springs, business group weigh efforts to revive district

SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — As if the COVID-19 pandemic and six years of construction at Ga. 400 and I-285 weren’t enough, the Perimeter market faces another headache.

Mass traffic congestion has grown even worse in Sandy Springs after a tractor trailer struck a bridge over I-285 on Mt. Vernon Highway Sept. 27.

Sandy Springs Mayor Rusty Paul said the Georgia Department of Transportation has reported the bridge will remain closed after inspecting five damaged support beams.

Some challenges stand in the way of resuming any sort of regular traffic flow in the city. Supply chain and delivery of support beams, as well as the safe movement of water lines across the damaged bridge, complicate repairs.

Reopening the Mt. Vernon Highway bridge by next summer is not the best option due to costs and construction time, Mayor Paul said.

The Georgia DOT is proposing to accelerate completion of another bridge over I-285 to the east of Mt. Vernon Highway, called the I-285 Westbound Auxiliary Lane project.

In the wake of these headwinds, the Perimeter Community Improvement Districts are pitching a rebranding effort to recapture interest in one of the busiest commercial areas of Metro Atlanta.

The CIDs are two adjoining, self-taxing commercial districts covering areas along the northern perimeter in Fulton and DeKalb County.

CIDs Executive Director Ann Hanlon brought several rebranding ideas with her to the Oct. 3 Sandy Springs City Council meeting.

Because of the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic and remote work policies, the Perimeter market has lost some commercial real estate tenants, Hanlon said.

Midtown Atlanta and the Battery in Cumberland took some of Perimeter’s corporate tenants, including Enterprise Rent-A-Car.

Hanlon said many people surveyed during the PCIDs rebranding described the Perimeter market with words like “traffic, congested, clean and nice.”

Overall, the community perception of the Perimeter market is mixed, Hanlon said.

Residents and employees surveyed reported the experience of “construction fatigue” due to work underway at the Ga. 400/I-285 interchange.

For Hanlon, it’s the right time for a rebranding.

Hanlon has started pitching the rebranding to city councils and staff in Dunwoody, Brookhaven and Sandy Springs.

At the Oct. 3 council meeting, she unveiled a draft of the improvement district’s brand promise, “Where it all works.”

A brand promise is the value or experience a customer receives every time they interact with the brand. The PCIDs’ brand promise references the Perimeter market’s access to everything visitors need, and the “corporate playground” employers and employees want.

The City Council lauded the effort but had some criticisms.

“I think you’re right, there’s no real excitement around the Perimeter market today,” Mayor Paul said.

He suggested focusing on the Perimeter market’s proximity to the “best of Atlanta” and creating renewed excitement for the area.

Councilwoman Melissa Mular summarized the City Council’s remarks saying the rebranding effort seemed “more corporate,

than creative,” but all agreed on the need to market the Perimeter area.

“We definitely are facing headwinds, and we do want to create excitement,” Hanlon said. “That’s precisely what we want to create, and we all agree on that.”

The plan is to launch a social media campaign for the PCIDs rebranding in December, Hanlon said.

The Georgia DOT anticipates the Ga. 400/I-285 interchange to be “significantly completed” in 2024, Hanlan says there is urgency to begin marketing Perimeter as soon as possible.

“We’re all working on it together to try cast a fresh light on what Perimeter is,” Hanlon said.

Georgia DOT Commissioner Russell McMurry told Mayor Paul that the new bridge in the I-285 Westbound Auxiliary Lane project will be completed “much earlier” than the reconstruction of the Mt. Vernon Highway Bridge, which was slated for July.

The shift of traffic to other roads — such as River Valley Road, Heards Ferry Road and Abernathy Road — is creating unprecedented levels of congestion, Paul said.

The mayor encouraged residents to remain understanding of the situation and to organize ways for students to get to and from school.

“Even that is not a solution, it’s just helping,” Paul said.

Leaving early, anticipating traffic and traveling with patience are all suggestions from the mayor.

“We are trying to do everything we can, and GDOT is trying to do everything they can to remedy the situation,” Paul said.

2 | October 12, 2023 | Sandy Springs Crier | AppenMedia.com/Sandy_Springs NEWS
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Why we pursue a case that never should have happened

This edition is dedicated to the citizens of Sandy Springs and our efforts on their behalf to protect their right to know how their tax dollars are being spent and how safe they are in their homes, at work and at their places of worship.

Our newsroom started covering Sandy Springs in October 2022 when we launched the Sandy Springs Crier online and delivered papers to 12,000 homes each week.

We have been in business since 1990 covering the cities of Alpharetta, Roswell, Johns Creek, Dunwoody, Milton and Forsyth County. Expanding our footprint to Sandy Springs was a natural next step for our business, and we intended to replicate the services provided by our newsroom to the residents.

Our focus has been and always will be local, local, local.

One of the pillars of that local coverage is public safety. We regularly make open records requests to police departments to find out where there have been home break-ins, car thefts, identity fraud, violent assaults and the like. Our experience is that people want to feel safe in their communities, and the first step to making that happen is to be educated about what public safety challenges exist and what is being done to remedy those challenges.

The greatest tool our newsroom has to begin to identify those challenges is the Georgia Open Records Act, a state law that outlines what public records must be made available to the public by government agencies responsible for keeping them.

Anyone, including reporters in our newsroom, can file an open records request to obtain copies of records in possession of law enforcement. Our newsroom does this every week with every city we cover to provide readers with information we think is important they know.

When we began making open records requests from Sandy Springs in October of last year to give its residents the same information we provide everyone else, we started to notice that something was off. The narratives, which are essentially a summary of what happened at the scene, were often one or two sentences long and contained little to no information.

This didn’t make sense. Reports from other city police departments we covered, involving the same alleged crimes, were paragraphs and sometimes pages long, and contained things missing from Sandy

Springs reports, like details of any crime, any arrests, any injuries and any sense of what happened.

So, we started asking questions. We asked the records administrators if there was missing information, or possibly supplemental reports that were not being provided. We were told that any additional information was part of an ongoing investigation and would not be disclosed.

Back to the Open Records Act

One exemption for law enforcement records is that a police agency may use discretion to withhold investigative records during a pending investigation.

Importantly, this exemption does not apply to initial incident or arrest reports.

We reminded the city about this and repeatedly provided support for our efforts from the Attorney General’s Office, Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Georgia Department of Law, Georgia First Amendment Foundation, Georgia Press Association, Georgia Public Safety Training Center, Georgia Sheriff’s Association, Georgia Department of Public Safety and Prosecuting Attorney’s Council of Georgia.

All of them agreed: Sandy Springs could not broadly withhold initial incident or arrest reports from the public.

The city’s response was that it would stand by its policy.

So we sued.

It was not a decision we took lightly or in haste. Again, we repeatedly tried to remedy the situation quietly and behind the scenes with the city. We believed at the time – and still do – that the city funda-

mentally does not understand what is required of them, but we were at an impasse and out of options.

Our motive for documents

To be clear, when we make open records requests, we are not seeking investigative notes or anything that would jeopardize the prosecution of a crime. We wouldn’t have any interest in publishing that information, anyway.

We seek, as we have for 33 years in Sandy Springs’ sister cities, basic information like when and where police resources were used, what crimes were potentially committed and whether anyone was arrested.

In this edition, we outline for all of our readers – everyone in Sandy Springs – what our lawsuit is all about. We are showing you the when, where, why and how, because we have nothing to hide and no ulterior motive.

In a couple of weeks, we will file a motion for summary judgment with the judge assigned to our case. We will ask her to compel the city to comply with the Open Records Act and begin to release information that is plainly available to a responding officer at the scene of a crime. We are also asking the city to reimburse us for our attorneys fees – to date about $12,000 –and not a penny more.

Our fear is that a different outcome would lead other public safety agencies across the state to follow the lead of Sandy Springs and err on the side of less transparency, not more.

Our hope is that you agree that this is a fight worth having.

AppenMedia.com/Sandy_Springs | Sandy Springs Crier | October 12, 2023 | 3
OPINION
HANS APPEN Publisher ILLUSTRATION BY JACOB TOMBERLIN/APPEN MEDIA

The issue at hand 1

On May 9, 2023, Appen Media Group filed an open records request for the following:

Any and all incident reports, including arrests, draft reports, officer narratives, and supplemental reports, for the following arrestees: DEJAK, CHRISTIAN THOMAS; DURHAM, AMIRI SHAKIR; SARMEINTO GUILLEN, CARMEN G; MANSON, CHARLES WILSON; BRONSTED,

Let’s break it down:

• What we’re really seeking is the incident report, a full account of what happened. Due to previous responses from the city, we crafted the request to include any possible interpretations of that request.

• These are the names of people who have been recently arrested in the city. We find out about these charges through the city’s website, jail records from various counties who house Sandy Springs inmates and other sources.

We are filing this request for two reasons:

1. To find out more information about the cases

2. To secure primary source documents for our reporting. If Fulton County reports an arrest at the jail, we want to make certain the charges match those that Sandy Springs recorded. You may ask, “Why not just ask the police public information officer for this information?” We take that step, too. Oftentimes, the Sandy Springs PIO will respond “all available information is in the incident report.”

It is vital we have primary source documents for our reporting. We cannot and should not take a PIO’s word for something – we need to have the documents that back up those statements.

What is an initial incident report? 2 Response #1

An initial incident report includes all materials a reporting officer submits when initiating a case. Georgia Open Records Act guidance offers the following,

“Initial incident and police arrest reports are subject to the Act’s disclosure requirements, regardless of whether they are part of an active investigation. Additionally, any report, whether entitled a ‘supplemental report,’ ‘narrative report,’ or similar document name that is produced as part of an initial incident report or can be characterized as such, is likewise to be disclosed.’

The city provided this report in response to our request. The report is three pages long and includes one sentence about the incident, “On September 5, 2021, I responded to 6330 Peachtree Dunwoody Rd in reference to an animal call.”

Remember that the request was for arrest and incident reports associated with a list of names who we referred to as arrestees. One of the names we requested – Amiri Durham – is listed on the “Suspect List” of this report. The city provided this response, assumedly, because Durham was arrested in relation to the incident. However, the city did not provide any arrest reports for Durham.

TAKE NOTE: The case number for this report, listed in the top right corner, is 2021009499.

4 | October 12, 2023 | Sandy Springs Crier | AppenMedia.com/Sandy_Springs Case # Assisting Officers Status Codes IBR Status Quantity Type Measure Suspected Type 2021-009499 MCGOWAN, M.P. (0186), WERNER, C.E. (0260), MCGINNIS, M.H. (0046), MCGINNIS, M.H. (0046) D R U G S INCIDENT/INVESTIGATION REPORT Suspect Hate Bias Motivated: Sandy Springs Police Department NONE (NO BIAS) 1 = None 2 = Burned = Counterfeit Forged 4 = Damaged Vandalized 5 = Recovered 6 = Seized 7 = Stolen = Unknown Narr. (cont.) OCA: 2021-009499 INCIDENT/INVESTIGATION REPORT Sandy Springs Police Department On September 5, 2021, responded to 6330 Peachtree Dunwoody Rd in reference to an animal call. N A R R A T V E By: NB2799, 05/11/2023 09:45 R_CS2IBR Page 2

3

Request #2

“Any and all incident reports, including arrests, draft reports, officer narratives, and supplemental reports” for case No. 2021009499. This is the case number associated with the first request.

• The city has stopped investigating the case. In this scenario all additional information (such as supplemental reports) would be released upon request.

On June 30, about six weeks after the first request, Appen Media Group filed an open records request for the following information, including case numbers: 4

• The city has added or amended information in the initial incident report. For example if an officer later learns a phone number that belongs on the initial report they could go in and add it.

Response #2

The city provided this report in response to our second request. The report is eight pages long. One page contains seven paragraphs describing what the officer found at the scene. Subsequent sheets describe what steps the Police Department took to investigate the incident. A few other pages, titled “Secondary Investigative” reports, expand on the description.

her of his intentions at 12:00 she went to unit door, number 140, and knocked on the door. She advised that while her and Mr. Durham spoke about his intentions she did hear the dog bark from the bathroom. Later that day, Mr. Durham paid the hotel for an additional nights stay. On September 5, 2021, Mr. Durham again approached staff and requested a late check-out as he was unsure if he was going to be staying. He was granted a late check-out, but did eventually check-out of the hotel.

At approximately 1200 hours, Ms. Murray went to the room to check its condition for housekeeping and to ensure Mr. Durham had vacated the unit. She stated when she received no response at the door and did not hear the dog barking she entered the room. She stated the air conditioning was turned off and the room was warm. Furthermore, she noticed dog feces all over the floor so she turned on the air conditioning unit, opened a window to let it air out and left the room. At approximately 1255 hours, Ms. Murray stated she walked by the room and could smell the feces, so she entered the room and placed a pot on the stove which contained bleach and air freshener. While in the room she walked into the bathroom and noticed a deceased dog in the bathtub. She stated she immediately left the room without touching anything and notified police.

Ms. Murray was able to provide me with a print-out of the pet agreement and the drivers license copy for Mr. Durham. She also provided me with a written statement of her encounters with Mr. Durham during his stay. All documents will be submitted to property and evidence, as evidence in this case.

Sgt. McGinnis and I entered the room and noticed feces and urine all over the room. In the bathtub was the deceased dog with what appeared

5

It bears noting that this case was closed in April 2022, a full year before Appen requested the police report. The Georgia Open Records Act requires police agencies to release all reports associated with a case after it has been closed.

AppenMedia.com/Sandy_Springs | Sandy Springs Crier | October 12, 2023 | 5
OCA 2021-009499 Sandy Springs Police Department THE INFORMATION BELOW IS CONFIDENTIAL FOR USE BY AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY Date Time Reported Sun 09/05/2021 13:01 Offense Victim Society CRUELTY TO ANIMALS SECONDARY INVESTIGATIVE REPORT On September 5, 2021, responded to 6330 Peachtree Dunwoody Rd in reference to an animal call. Upon my arrival, I met with Yolanda Murray, an employee of the Extended Stay hotel, who advised me she discovered a deceased dog in a bathtub in room 140. Ms. Murray stated on Thursday, September 2, 2021, an individual by the name of Amiri Shakir Durham arrived at the Extended Stay requesting a room. She stated Mr. Durham advised her the stay would be from day to day and that he would be staying in the room by himself. When asked if he had any pets, Mr. Durham confirmed he did have one dog, and signed the pet agreement which he stated he had a French Bulldog. Ms. Murray stated on Saturday, September 4, 2021 Mr. Durham approached her and requested a late check-out, as he was unsure if he was going to be staying another night. Ms. Murray stated she granted the late check-out, giving him a check-out of 12:00 p.m. When Mr. Durham did not immediately inform
to be blood that was smeared around with a towel, and the towel was still in the tub with the dog. There were no obvious or immediate signs of trauma. Sgt. Johnson and C.S.I. technician Werner arrived on scene to photograph and document the crime scene. Fulton County Animal Services cruelty investigator Laurie Johnson arrived on scene and took photographs and documented the crime scene. Ms. Johnson stated she did not notice any immediate signs of trauma, but did note the dog looks to have been bleeding from its rectum. She took possession of the deceased dog and will be sending it to UGA so that a necropsy can be performed to determine the cause of death. Ms. Johnson was also able to provide me with information about the micrchip the dog possessed. The microchip is with AKC Reunited, phone number 1-800-252-7894 and the microchip number is 956000009615063. Fulton County Animal Services case number is 2021-008166. Nothing further at this time. NANOFF, J. H. Reporting Officer: Page 3 Printed By: TMB2227, 07/03/2023 13:52 R_CS3NC
If the city was following the Open Records act, there would be only two reasons to have additional information provided in this response:

INVESTIGATING OFFICER NARRATIVE

A closer look...|

One defense the city has used is claiming some supplemental reports are exempt from release. Here’s City attorney Dan Lee to Appen Media via email May 15,

On 2 December 2022 at 1329 hours, I (Officer M. Bips #266) was dispatched to 1020 Hannover Park Road, Sandy Springs, Fulton County in reference to a criminal trespass call.

Upon arrival, I was met by Property Manager, Ms. Angel Suber (Reporting Party). Ms. Suber stated that on or about 1 December at 1334 hours, unknown offenders entered the vacant residences at 1008, 1012 and 1020 Hannover Park Road. Ms. Suber stated that individuals can sign up for self-guided tours of the properties and enter the townhomes.

Ms. Suber stated that the security latch or `hotel lock` was locked from the inside at 1020 Hannover Park Road and the garage remote had been stolen. Ms. Suber stated that the battery packs from the `smart home systems` locks were stolen from 1008 and 1012 along with the garage remotes. No surveillance cameras were observed on the property.

Ms. Suber was issued a case card and Victim Rights Pamphlet. Ms. Suber can be reached at or

“The law clearly allows that initial incident reports are to be disclosed and any supplements to the initial reports. There are no supplements to initial reports that have not been disclosed. The supplemental reports you are mentioning in this complaint are the notes and investigative information dealing with open investigations.”

INVESTIGATING OFFICER NARRATIVE

In a signed affidavit filed June 21, Sandy Springs Police Captain Norman Vik attests to the following,

Offense CRIMINAL TRESPASS/TRESPASSING

“Sandy Springs police officers sometimes write supplemental reports, which are utilized for logging additional information gained after completion of an initial incident and/or initial arrest reports. These supplemental reports are not part of initial incident or arrest reports.”

Let’s explore how this defense plays out.

BELOW IS CONFIDENTIAL - FOR USE BY AUTHORIZED

On Dec. 13, 2022, Appen filed a request for, “Any and all incident reports, including arrests, draft reports, officer narratives, and supplemental reports,” for case number 2022013635. This incident was a trespassing call dated Dec. 2, 2022. The city provided a report with one sentence, that the officer went to the location.

hours, I (Officer M. Bips #266) was dispatched to 1020 Hannover Park Road, Sandy reference to a criminal trespass call.

On May 30 Appen filed the same request.

The case closed in January, between the first request and the second request. Using the city’s guidance, any additional information or reports should then become available. Sure enough, the city provided two additional pages in response to the second request. One page contains investigative notes made in January as a detective followed up with the case.

But the other page contains a full narrative of what occurred on December 2. This supplemental information is marked as having been filed the same day and the same time as the skeleton report sent to the newspaper. This report should have been provided in response to the first request.

Property Manager, Ms. Angel Suber (Reporting Party). Ms. Suber stated that on or about unknown offenders entered the vacant residences at 1008, 1012 and 1020 Hannover Park individuals can sign up for self-guided tours of the properties and enter the townhomes. security latch or `hotel lock` was locked from the inside at 1020 Hannover Park Road and stolen. Ms. Suber stated that the battery packs from the `smart home systems` locks were along with the garage remotes. No surveillance cameras were observed on the property. card and Victim Rights Pamphlet. Ms. Suber can be reached at or This practice continues to the present day.

6 | October 12, 2023 | Sandy Springs Crier | AppenMedia.com/Sandy_Springs
OCA 2022-013635 Sandy Springs Police Department THE INFORMATION BELOW IS CONFIDENTIAL - FOR USE BY AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY Date / Time Reported Fri 12/02/2022 13:27 Offense Victim PROGRESSIVE RESIDENTIAL CRIMINAL TRESPASS/TRESPASSING
BIPS, M. C. Reporting Officer: Page 3 Printed By: NB2799, 05/26/2023 10:10 R_CS3NC OCA: 2022013635 Sandy Springs Police Department THE INFORMATION BELOW IS CONFIDENTIAL - FOR USE BY AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY Case Status: INACTIVE/PENDING Case Mng Status: INAC Printed: 05/26/2023 10:10 Offense: CRIMINAL TRESPASS/TRESPASSING Occurred: 12/01/2022 INVESTIGATIVE SUPPLEMENT REPORT Reference: Contact: Supplemental Date Time: DAVIDSON, B. E. (0208) Investigator: 01/18/2023 12:25:36, Wednesday Supervisor Review Date / Time: LOCKRIDGE, B. R. (0243) Supervisor: 01/18/2023 13:06:03, Wednesday On January 18, 2023, I attempted to make contact with the reporting party of a Criminal Trespass at 1020 Hanover Park but was unable to make contact. There are no surveillance cameras at the locations and no suspects at this time. called the main number and spoke to the company. They did not have any more information to provide in reference to the case. Due to the lack of evidence or leads at this time I am unable to continue investigation. The case will be placed in an inactive status until more leads are developed. [01/18/2023 12:26, BED0208, 273, SSPD] Page 5 Investigator Signature Supervisor Signature Case # Assisting Officers Status Codes IBR Status Quantity Type Measure Suspected Type 2022-013635 D R U G S INCIDENT/INVESTIGATION REPORT Suspect Hate Bias Motivated: Sandy Springs Police Department NONE (NO BIAS) = None 2 = Burned 3 = Counterfeit Forged 4 = Damaged Vandalized 5 = Recovered = Seized 7 = Stolen = Unknown Narr. (cont.) OCA: 2022-013635 INCIDENT/INVESTIGATION REPORT Sandy Springs Police Department On 2 December 2022 at 1329 hours, I (Officer M. Bips #266) was dispatched to 1020 Hannover Park Road, Sandy Springs, Fulton County in reference to a criminal trespass call. N A R R A T V E By: NB2799, 05/26/2023 10:10 R_CS2IBR Page 2 OCA 2022-013635
PERSONNEL ONLY Date / Time Reported Fri 12/02/2022 13:27

A free society depends on public access to government officials and the records they create doing the public’s business. The Georgia First Amendment Foundation urges the Sandy Springs Police Department to honor the principles enshrined in the Georgia Open Records Act, and supports Appen Media’s lawsuit on behalf of government transparency. In the words of the late Georgia Supreme Court Justice Charles L. Weltner, “Because public men and women are amenable ‘at all times’ to the people, they must conduct the public’s business out in the open.”

AppenMedia.com/Sandy_Springs | Sandy Springs Crier | October 12, 2023 | 7
8 | October 12, 2023 | Sandy Springs Crier | AppenMedia.com/Sandy_Springs
Springs incident
Case # Assisting Officers Status Codes IBR Status Quantity Type Measure Suspected Type 2023-010651 HASHMI, M.H. (0248), MANNE, C. (0210), HANSE, S.C. (0037), GOMEZ, G.A. (0200), TURNER, W.C. (0236), TRUJILLO, N.H. (0147) D R U G S INCIDENT/INVESTIGATION REPORT Suspect Hate Bias Motivated: Sandy Springs Police Department NONE (NO BIAS) 1 = None 2 = Burned 3 = Counterfeit Forged 4 = Damaged Vandalized = Recovered 6 = Seized 7 = Stolen 8 = Unknown Narr. (cont.) OCA: 2023-010651 INCIDENT/INVESTIGATION REPORT Sandy Springs Police Department On 09-18-2023 I responded to gun shots fired at 215 Northwood Drive. N A R R A T V E By: TMB2227, 09/22/2023 08:51 R_CS2IBR Page 3 Case # Assisting Officers Status Codes IBR Status Quantity Type Measure Suspected Type 2023-008040 NELSON, W.P. (0335), BLENKE, T.H. (0351), HUDSON, J. (0112), HELM, D.N. (0105) D R U G S INCIDENT/INVESTIGATION REPORT Suspect Hate Bias Motivated: Sandy Springs Police Department NONE (NO BIAS) = None = Burned = Counterfeit Forged 4 = Damaged Vandalized 5 = Recovered 6 = Seized 7 = Stolen 8 = Unknown Narr. (cont.) OCA: 2023-008040 INCIDENT/INVESTIGATION REPORT Sandy Springs Police Department On 07/17/2023 I was dispatched to 400NB and Northridge Rd in reference to a road rage incident that had occured on 400 nortbound. N A R R A T V E By: MLH2033, 09/06/2023 08:50 R_CS2IBR Page 2 Case # Assisting Officers Status Codes IBR Status Quantity Type Measure Suspected Type 2023-004144 CABRERA, J.T. (0312), HIGH, T.R. (0377), LORA, B.E. (0341) D R U G S INCIDENT/INVESTIGATION REPORT Suspect Hate Bias Motivated: Sandy Springs Police Department NONE (NO BIAS) 1 = None 2 = Burned 3 = Counterfeit Forged 4 = Damaged Vandalized 5 = Recovered 6 = Seized 7 = Stolen 8 = Unknown Narr. (cont.) OCA: 2023-004144 INCIDENT/INVESTIGATION REPORT Sandy Springs Police Department On April 12th, 2023, was dispatched to a shoplifting already occured call at 8610 Roswell Rd, Sandy Springs, GA, 30350. N A R R A T V E By: TMB2227, 07/26/2023 15:12 R_CS2IBR Page 2 Case # Assisting Officers Status Codes IBR Status Quantity Type Measure Suspected Type 2023-004808 ORDONEZ-LOPEZ, N.G. (0334), DONELSON, J.R. (0254), DEMPS, J. (0146), HELM, D.N. (0105), LAPIDES, D.S. (0051) D R U G S INCIDENT/INVESTIGATION REPORT Suspect Hate Bias Motivated: Sandy Springs Police Department NONE (NO BIAS) 1 = None 2 = Burned 3 = Counterfeit Forged 4 = Damaged Vandalized 5 = Recovered 6 = Seized 7 = Stolen 8 = Unknown Narr. (cont.) OCA: 2023-004808 INCIDENT/INVESTIGATION REPORT Sandy Springs Police Department On 04/28/2023, at 1330 hours, responded to the target at 5570 Roswell Rd., Sandy Springs, GA in reference to a report of a shoplifting in progress. N A R R A T V E By: TMB2227, 07/26/2023 13:46 R_CS2IBR Page 3 Case # Assisting Officers Status Codes IBR Status Quantity Type Measure Suspected Type 2023-004144 CABRERA, J.T. (0312), HIGH, T.R. (0377), LORA, B.E. (0341) D R U G S INCIDENT/INVESTIGATION REPORT Suspect Hate Bias Motivated: Sandy Springs Police Department NONE (NO BIAS) = None = Burned = Counterfeit Forged 4 = Damaged Vandalized 5 = Recovered 6 = Seized 7 = Stolen 8 = Unknown Narr. (cont.) OCA: 2023-004144 INCIDENT/INVESTIGATION REPORT Sandy Springs Police Department On April 12th, 2023, I was dispatched to a shoplifting already occured call at 8610 Roswell Rd, Sandy Springs, GA, 30350. N A R R A T V E By: TMB2227, 07/26/2023 15:12 R_CS2IBR Page 2 Case # Assisting Officers Status Codes IBR Status Quantity Type Measure Suspected Type 2023-007544 HANSE, S.C. (0037), DENNINGTON, D.E. (0347), BROWN, A.E. (0326), SMITH, J.P. (0176), SMITH, B.B. (0155), CELESTE, J.M. (0290) D R U G S INCIDENT/INVESTIGATION REPORT Suspect Hate Bias Motivated: Sandy Springs Police Department NONE (NO BIAS) 1 = None 2 = Burned 3 = Counterfeit Forged 4 = Damaged Vandalized 5 = Recovered 6 = Seized 7 = Stolen 8 = Unknown Narr. (cont.) OCA: 2023-007544 INCIDENT/INVESTIGATION REPORT Sandy Springs Police Department On July 5, 2023 I responded to a Terroristic Threats call at 5320 Roswell Road unit D4. Nothing further at this time. N A R R A T V E By: NB2799, 07/07/2023 14:44 R_CS2IBR Page 2
Sandy
reports

Other cities’ incident reports

AppenMedia.com/Sandy_Springs | Sandy Springs Crier | October 12, 2023 | 9

October 2022

– first edition of Sandy Springs Crier published

Timeline of lawsuit

November 2022 – Appen discusses police report Open Record responses with police department, city attorney’s office and city staff

February 2023 – Appen Media legal counsel sends letter of concern to Sandy Springs officials. City attorney’s office reiterates their position.

December 2022 – Appen Media discusses complaint with state Attorney General’s office. Assistant Attorney General Jennifer Colangelo sends the following:

Our office doesn't have an official opinion on this - but the interpretation that we strongly urge is that "initial incident report" should not be treated as "magic words." So a page should not be treated as separate from an initial incident report just because it has a different title, like "supplemental report," at the top of the page. A common-sense interpretation of "initial incident report" is that anything written at the same time as the first part of the report is part of the initial incident report.

So in the sample you sent me that has the long report, the first page shows it was created on 11/17 at 4:33 am. The 4th page, "reporting officer narrative," also says 11/17 at 4:33 am. That should be considered part of the initial incident report. A later page, titled "supplemental," has a later date/time so it wouldn't have to be included in the initial incident report.

Wasn't there a lawsuit about this pretty recently with Sandy Springs? Maybe it was another suburb that agreed to stop playing the "supplemental report" game.

Colangelo volunteers to write, “a letter from our office to the city attorney, letting them know we received a complaint from y’all and we think they need to release any other ‘narrative’ or ‘supplemental’ reports written at the same time, regardless of what they have labeled them at the top of the page.”

April 2023 – Appen Media legal counsel sends draft complaint to Sandy Springs officials, making a final appeal to mediate the situation before taking legal action. City attorney’s office reiterates their position.

June 2023 – City of Sandy Springs files an answer to the complaint and calls to depose Director of Content and Development Carl Appen.

August 2023 –Carl Appen and Sandy Springs City Clerk Raquel Gonzalez face depositions at City Hall. City and Appen Media have a case management hearing with Superior Court Judge Kimberly Adams.

May 2023 –Appen Media files suit against the city in Fulton County Superior Court.

September 2023 – Sandy Springs Police Captain Norm Vik faces an online deposition.

10 | October 12, 2023 | Sandy Springs Crier | AppenMedia.com/Sandy_Springs
AppenMedia.com/Sandy_Springs | Sandy Springs Crier | October 12, 2023 | 11 CONCRETE LOCAL HOME SERVICES GUIDE ELECTRICAL 678.648.2011 Call Us For A FREE Quote • Highest customer rated • Lifetime warranty • Same day service $30 OFF Any Electrical Work Cannot combine with any other coupon. CLEANING • Housekeeping •One-time Cleans • After-party Cleaning • Spring Cleaning • Move-in/out Cleaning • Basement Cleaning Leave cleaning, to us... enjoy life’s precious moments! Reliable & Professional Fully Bonded & Insured Environmentally Friendly Products contact@EasyBreezynet.com • EasyBreezyNet.com 678.648.2012 TREE SERVICE • Highest rated by customers • Tree removal and tree trimming • We save trees too • Certified arborist • Licensed/insured 99 TREE SERVICE 770.450.8188 Call Us For A FREE Quote • Tree Removal • Tree Pruning • Stump Grinding • Full Insured • Free Mulch • Emergency 24/7 98 Call or Text to CONCRETE DRIVEWAY SPECIALIST 30 Years Experience NEW DRIVEWAYS Pool Decks, Patios, Walkways, Slabs $250 OFF* Mention ad for $250 Off. New Driveway. Cannot combine coupons. BBB A+ Rating FREE ESTIMATE Call 678-250-4546 Minimum job is $5,000 ARBOR HILLS CONSTRUCTION INC. Angie’s List Super Service Award 2011 thru 2017 770.744.2200 Call Us For A FREE Quote ROOF Call for a FREE Estimate! 770-284-3123 Serving North Atlanta Since 1983. Affordable Quality Roofing. Based in Roswell. ROOF REPAIR & REPLACE $200 Leak Repairs or 10% OFF New Roof $200 leak repair. Up to 8 penetrations. (1-story house, up to 7/12 pitch). Some restrictions apply *Offer expires 10 days after publication 99 STOP WE LEAKS LANDSCAPING FREE ESTIMATES Call 770-771-5432 Call now for a FREE estimate for any of your lawn/home needs! 770-771-5432 • Landscaping Residential & Commercial • Tree Services • Sprikler Systems • Maintenance & Installation Pine Straw & Mulch • Over 25 Years of Experience • Many Local References • Fair Prices for Professional Work • Maintenance & Installation Pine Straw & Mulch • Reliable, Punctual, Honest $150 OFF jobs $1500 or more ELECTRICAL ATTENTION Double check ad for ALL content. Phone, web, address, coupons, etc. Assume nothing Reply back that ad is approved once ALL ITEMS HAVE BEEN CHECKED FOR ACCURACY. Bobby Albritton Master Licensed Electrician Residential & Commercial Services bgalbritton@live.com Call for a FREE Estimate 404-519-8635 Bobby Albritton Master Licensed Electrician Residential & Commercial Services 678.506.0006 Call for a FREE Estimate! • Additions & Renovations • Kitchens & Bath Small jobs to large additions or complete remodels. Over 30 years’ experience. Many, many local references. Call for FREE quote. Charles Hunter Charles Hunter Construction Inc. 770.744.1010 10% OFF Any job $500 or more. REMODEL & HVAC • ELECTRICAL • PLUMBING 770.766.5566 Call Us For A FREE ESTIMATE & CONSULTATION Service Areas: • Alpharetta • Roswell • Milton • Johns Creek • South Forsyth • Dunwoody • Sandy Springs REMODEL –CONSTRUCTION • Home Repairs • Licensed & Insured Alpharetta-Roswell Herald Delivers to 28,000 households every Thursday Forsyth Herald Delivers to 17,000 households every Thursday Johns Creek Herald Delivers to 20,000 households every Thursday Let Us Connect You p: 770-442-3278 | f: 770-475-1216 • e: advertising@appenmediagroup.com 319 North Main Street | Alpharetta, GA 30009 Milton Herald Delivers to 10,000 households every Thursday Dunwoody Crier Delivers to 18,000 households every Thursday Sandy Springs Crier Delivers to 12,000 households every Thursday

See solution Page 15

DEATH NOTICES

Mary Abernathy, 76, of Roswell, passed away on October 1, 2023. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Frances Alston, 98, of Roswell, passed away on September 27, 2023. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Jennifer Tatum Fredette, 36, of Alpharetta, passed away on September 30, 2023. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Dr. Jan Hines, 84, of Alpharetta, passed away on September 28, 2023. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Patricia McGarry, 79, of Alpharetta, passed away on September 30, 2023. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Sharon Newman, 90, of Milton, passed away on September 25, 2023. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Mabel Scott, 91, of Roswell, passed away on September 29, 2023. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

12 | October 12, 2023 | Sandy Springs Crier | AppenMedia.com/Sandy_Springs
©2023 PuzzleJunction.com Dunwoody Crier 10/12/23 Crossword PuzzleJunction.com Solution on next page 1234 5678 91011 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 36 Zilch 37 Deserve 41 Caustic 43 New Englander 44 W.I. island 45 Tattle 48 Fragrance 50 Appends 51 Mortgages, for example 52 Ancient Greek 53 Heartache 55 Brewer’s need 57 Desolate 59 Noel 60 God of love 61 Swabs 64 Brazilian port Across 1 Indonesian island 5 Salad choice 9 Caress 12 Household appliance 13 Neighbor of Canada 14 Adam’s grandson 16 Seaweed 17 Calcedony 18 Adjutant 19 Earlier 21 Editor 23 Whirlpool 25 Malady 26 Her 29 Couturier Christian 31 Pinch 32 Artery 34 Extra large 38 Box seat 39 Pride 40 Toll 42 Linguist 45 Edible fruit 46 Hearing organ 47 Genuine 49 Singleton 50 Straight 54 Horsecart 56 Entry feature 58 Conformed 62 Comic Carvey 63 Scare 65 Mystique 66 Sound in a barber shop 67 Ill-fated ship, Andrea ___ 68 Vulgarian 69 Educational institution (Abbr.) 70 Mars (Prefix) 71 Hardy heroine Down 1 Prejudice 2 Singer Guthrie 3 Trademark 4 Fatuous 5 Droop 6 Prevaricator
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Insulation

Workforce Development Coordinator is responsible for developing programs and services for NFCC clients and students seeking employment, post-secondary education, or other career options. The workforce development coordinator collaborates with local employers to help match job seekers to open positions. They work directly with clients on the job application, resumes, and interview preparations and provide tips for successfully securing and improving employment to foster financial stability.  Bachelor’s degree in a human services, human resources, or other related field required and 2 years of professional experience in human services, human resources or career counseling preferred.

To view the entire listing visit https://nfcchelp.org/ work-at-nfcc/. To apply, please submit resume to Carol Swan at cswan@nfcchelp.org.

VETERINARY TECHNICIANS & ASSISTANTS: Dunwoody Animal Medical Center is hiring! Send resume to office@dunwoodyamc.com

SERVICE DIRECTORY

Garage Sale

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Handyman

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Electricians

Belco Electric

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AppenMedia.com/Sandy_Springs | Sandy Springs Crier | October 12, 2023 | 13 Full-time Call today to place your ad 470.222.8469 or email classifieds@appenmediagroup.com • FAX: 770-475-1216 ONLINE INCLUDED
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14 | October 12, 2023 | Sandy Springs Crier | AppenMedia.com/Sandy_Springs Call today to place your ad 470.222.8469 or email classifieds@appenmediagroup.com • FAX: 770-475-1216 ONLINE INCLUDED Licensed • Insured • References Ogletree Enterprises a MALTA Award Winning Firm Installation Maintenance Seasonal Color Ken Ogletree 770.840.8884 AwArd winning LAndscApes 20 years of Keeping Dunwoody Green Landscaping Pressure Washing $250 OFF NEW DRIVEWAY! Mention this ad. Concrete driveway specialists. Driveways, Pool Decks, Patios, Walkways, Slabs.  A+ BBB rating. FREE ESTIMATE. Call Rachael at 678-250-4546 to schedule a FREE Estimate. 30 years of experience. ARBOR HILLS CONSTRUCTION INC. Please note we do have a minimum charge on accepted jobs of $5,000.  Driveways ALEX FRASER MASONRY INC. • BRICK • BLOCK • CONCRETE • STONEWORK FULLY INSURED Tel: (770) 664-2294 Cell: (404) 281-0539 Alex Fraser, President www.alexfrasermasonry.com E-Mail: afrasermasonry@aol.com Concrete/Asphalt Driveways A1 DRIVEWAY REPLACEMENT CO. Specializing in CONCRETE DRIVEWAY REPLACEMENT SIDEWALKS, PATIOS, AND SLABS Since 1974 Insured – Free Estimates www.a1drivewayreplacement.com 770-493-6222 MARTINEZ MASONRY Retaining Walls • Patios• Repairs Walkways • Masonry Work martinezmasonry281@yahoo com 404-408-4170 Ask for Tony Martinez Concrete
AppenMedia.com/Sandy_Springs | Sandy Springs Crier | October 12, 2023 | 15 Call today to place your ad 470.222.8469 or email classifieds@appenmediagroup.com • FAX: 770-475-1216 ONLINE INCLUDED Quality Without Compromise ROBERT CROAWELL REMODELING Full Service Contractor Additions • Kitchens • Basements • Bathrooms Interior/Exterior Paint • Minor Repairs • Licensed Insured Office: 770-814-0064 Cell: 678-642-8314 Painters 770-393-1652 Dunwoody Door Lift Co. The ONLY garage door company in Dunwoody! We sell, install and repair garage doors and openers. Authorized Genie Dealer serving Dunwoody since 1973. Garage Doors Home Improvement ROT-DOC Rot Repair Technician Don’t waste good paint on rotten wood. Minor repairs make a major difference! Interior/Exterior Painting Pressure Washing Rotten Wood Deck Repair Free Estimates Thurman | 770.899.1354 | www.rot-doc.com Solution BA LI SL AW PA T IR ON MA IN E EN OS AL GA AG AT E AI DE SO ON ER REDA CT OR ED DY DI SEASE SH E DI OR NI P AO RT A KI NG SI ZE LO GE EG O PEA L PO LY GL OT BE RR Y EA R RE AL ON E AL IG NE D DR AY DO OR KN OB OB EY ED DANA AL AR M AU RA SN IP DO RI A SL OB SC H AR EO T ESS Read Local, Shop Local Read at appenmedia.com/business Get More News, Opinion & Events Every Friday Morning Stay in the know with Herald Headlines. Join for free at appenmedia.com/newsletters A NEWSLETTER FROM

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Contribute to Appen Media’s Legal Fund to ensure that Sandy Springs residents have access to all police records subject to disclosure under the Georgia’s Open Records Act.

NEWS TIPS

HANS APPEN Publisher

Contact reporters directly or send story ideas to newsroom@appenmedia.com.

LETTERS, EVENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

Send your letters, events and community news to newsroom@appenmedia.com. See appenmedia.com/submit for more guidance.

ADVERTISING

For information about advertising in the Sandy Springs Crier or other Appen Media properties, email advertising@appenmedia.com or call 770-442-3278.

CIRCULATION

Appen Media has already incurred legal fees of $12,211 as it heads toward trial with the City of Sandy Springs over alleged violations of state open records laws. We are a small business – just like many of you – and these bills have put a strain on operations. Help us keep going by chipping in $5, $10 or whatever you can afford to contribute. It would mean the world to us and go a long way toward making sure that we don’t run out of money before we are able to state our case at trial.

To start, pause or stop delivery of this newspaper, email circulation@appenmedia.com or call 770-442-3278.

TO CONTRIBUTE

Go to appenmedia.com/openrecords or scan this QR Code:

You can also mail a check to Appen Media, C/O Sandy Springs Lawsuit Fund, 319 North Main Street, Alpharetta, GA 30009

100% of every dollar given will be used to pay legal bills and expenses.

If you have any questions please contact Publisher Hans Appen at 770-442-3278 or hans@appenmedia.com

16 | October 12, 2023 | Sandy Springs Crier | AppenMedia.com/Sandy_Springs
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