Public Safety Briefs

We took a vote. It’s unanimous. You need Lou Lou. She will bring you happiness, good luck and someone to snuggle up with. Lou Lou was made for belly rubs and long winter naps. At 4 years old, she’s as easy as pie and well-mannered. She likes to go for a walk and has a sweet, genuine personality.

Georgia is one of the sweetest and most wiggly dogs you’ll ever meet. She likes a lot of things – treats, training, going on walks, sniffing around – but she likes people most of all. Her ideal day would be waking up next to someone and never leaving their side, whether they are hanging out and watching television or going for a hike.

Sgt. Warren Pickard has been named the Atlanta Police Department’s new public affairs officer. He replaces Sgt. Greg Lyon, who has been promoted to lieutenant and is currently working in Zone 4. Pickard has been with APD for more than 26 years. A former Marine, Pickard advanced through the ranks of APD from patrolman detective to supervisor. He was also selected to teach internationally with the United States Department of State and sent to the nation of East Timor as a training officer with the mission of training recently hired candidates in the best standards of policing.

The Atlanta Police Department has announced that Maj. Scott Kreher is the new Zone 5 Commander, replacing retiring Maj. Wayne Whitmire. In the three years Whitmire was in command of Zone 5, larcenies were down 15 percent, vehicle larcenies were down 11 percent and robberies down 12 percent. Kreher began his career 23 years ago as a patrol officer in Zone 3. He has served as an investigator in Major Fraud, a sergeant in Zones 1, 3, 5 and Fugitive, and as a lieutenant in Zone 4 where he commanded both the morning and day watch units. He also worked in Vice before being promoted to Captain in Zone 4 as the Assistant Zone Commander. During his commands, he has worked to improve community relationships and reduce crime.

The Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation has awarded more than $267,000 worth of life-saving equipment to 18 public safety organizations in the Atlanta metropolitan area, totaling more than $1.2 million awarded in Georgia since 2005. Benefitting organizations include Cristo Rey Jesuit High School and the Fulton County Sheriff ’s Department.

To adopt Lou Lou or Georgia, visit PAWS Atlanta at pawsatlanta.org or the shelter at 5287 Covington Highway in Decatur.

In the days after a resident of e Darlington apartments on Peachtree Road was shot in the finger through her closed apartment door, another resident said crime has been an ongoing problem at the Buckhead building. “Every time I leave or come to my apartment, I feel unsafe,” Darlington resident Je Wesley Day said. Resident Natasha Smith lost part of her middle finger when she was struck inside her apartment by a bullet that passed through the door or wall at about 2:45 a.m. on Dec. 14. Police said Donald Davis, 23, who lives in the apartment next to Smith, and resident Monzell Johnson, 23, who lives in the apartment across the hall from Smith, were detained by police after the Dec. 14 shooting and their apartments were searched, according to a police report. Atlanta police say they recorded 438 calls for police to come to the building at 2025 Peachtree Road between June 1 and Dec. 17. Sgt. Warren Pickard said 14 of the calls in the six-month period were for reports of shots fired. Pickard said he could not easily break down the reasons for all the calls, but “either way, that’s a lot of calls for one particular address.”

1. Dining

Kirkwood has become a restaurant hotspot for eateries like Le Petite Marche, Elmyriachi, Anna’s Barbecue, The Pullman, Ration & Dram, Dulce Vegan Bakery & Café and Ann’s Snack Bar, home of the legendary “ghetto burger.”

2. Pullman Yard

The massive Pullman Yard rail yard and its abandoned buildings has become a favorite place for photographers and movie shoots (including “The Hunger Games”). Nonprofit Atlanta ContactPoint wants to transform the site into a place for sports, arts and more while developers would love to see homes or a mixed-use development.

3. Festivals

The Kirkwood Spring Fling with arts, crafts, a road race and live music, and Kirkwood Wine, where local businesses host a big wine tasting, draw thousands to the downtown area.

4. Historic Homes

Kirkwood is full of vintage Craftsman and Victorian homes that have become much sought after by homebuyers. The Kirkwood Neighborhood Neighbors’ Association helped to lobby for the community to be put on the National Register of Historic Places.

5. Parks

Kirkwood is home to a number of greenspaces for passive and recreational activities including Gilliam Park, Coan Park, Bessie Branham Park, and Kirkwood Urban Forest and Community Garden.

Tell us about new restaurants, attractions, shows, concerts, businesses or othe-beaten path places in your favorite neighborhood. Submit your favorite local spots (and pics!) to us at collin@atlantaintownpaper.com

Meetings

The Atlanta City Council’s Transportation Committee will hold a final public meeting regarding the city’s on-street parking management operation at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 28, at the Martin Luther King, Sr. Community Resources Collaborative, 101 Jackson Street, NE. The city is currently contracting with PARKatlanta, a private vendor, for on-street parking enforcement services including metered, residential/permit and special event parking, and for booting and towing of illegally parked vehicles. The Reed Administration is considering issuing a request for proposals (RFP) for companies that want the city’s business when PARKatlanta’s contract expires in 2016. The city could also take over the on-street parking management operation or portions of it. Residents who can’t attend can submit comments via email to atlantacouncil@atlantaga.gov or via Twitter @ATLCouncil using hashtag #parkatlanta2016 or on Facebook at facebook.com/atlantacitycouncil.

The Atlanta City Council will hold its first meeting of 2016 on Jan. 4 at 1 p.m. at City Hall, 55 Trinity Ave. The second meeting of the month, also at City Hall, will be moved to Jan. 19 because of the MLK holiday. For agendas and more information, visit citycouncil. atlantaga.gov.

NPU-B, which covers the neighborhoods of Brookhaven, Buckhead Forest, Buckhead Heights, Chastain Park East, Garden Hills, North Buckhead, Peachtree Heights East, Peachtree Heights West, Peachtree Hills, Peachtree Park, Ridgdale Park, Pine Hills and South Tuxedo Park, meets the first Tuesday of every month at 7 p.m. at Cathedral of St. Philip, 2744 Peachtree Road.

News

The city has launched NotifyATL, a new mass notification system to keep residents and visitors safe and informed in the event of an emergency. The system will enable the city to provide everyone with real-time alerts on severe winter weather, potential safety hazards, road closures and community events. Signing up for NotifyATL is free, and residents and visitors can sign up using a computer, tablet or mobile device. Visit atlantaga.gov/notifyatl and opt-in to receive alerts to home, mobile or business phones. Email and text messaging are notification options as well.

Midtown Alliance is developing a comprehensive plan that will influence transportation options over the next 10 years. The organization wants your input at midtowntransportationplan.com where you can see projects and leave comments.

The two-year pension litigation between public safety workers and the City of Atlanta is over after the Supreme Court of Georgia last month unanimously denied reconsideration of the lawsuit. The state Supreme Court had ruled in favor of the city in a lawsuit filed by firefighters, police and other city employees over changes to the city’s pension system. Police and firefighter unions sued the city, claiming a 5-percent pay raise was canceled out by the 5-percent they had to pay into the pension plan. Mayor Kasim Reed had withheld pay increases to employees who had been involved in the lawsuit. After the court decision, the Atlanta City Council approved pay increases for 247 sergeants in the Atlanta Police Department.

Panels and Pillow Covers can warm up your home instantly. We offer both ready-made and custom to fit your decor.