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Take steps to reduce false alarms in
Gwinnett County
By
Chuck Warbington
Executive director, Gwinnett Village Community Improvement District
Special to GwinnettForum
NORCROSS, Ga., Sept. 30, 2008 -- Where's a cop when you need one?
Too often, they are responding to a false alarm.
Warbington |
Perhaps the accompanying pie chart will indicate the huge discrepancy
in valid versus invalid alarm calls. At one time or another, perhaps
99 percent of us have thought "Where's a cop when you need
one?"
As has been reported earlier this year, the Gwinnett Village CID
overall crime rate was down by one-third over the first half of
the year. However, Gwinnett Village, like the rest of the county,
also registers as problematic with false alarms.
Annually, the Gwinnett County Police Department receives just under
39,000
security alert dispatches. These alerts are the leading category
of police calls, exceeding moving vehicle accidents in Gwinnett,
which alone totals just under 24,000 calls annually. What is most
alarming about these statistics is that 99 percent of these security
alarm dispatches are actually false or non-valid. Of the 6,111 alarm
calls in 2008 so far this year that occurred at the Westside Precinct
(which covers Gwinnett Village), only 22 were valid. Twenty-two
out of 6,111!
Information from the Norcross Police Department indicates that
false security alarm calls are also a problem for the city's force.
Of the 1,458 annual security alarm calls, approximately two percent
are valid, according to Norcross Police Chief Dallas Stidd.
On average throughout the county, according to Gwinnett County
Police, a false alarm dispatch can require one to three officers
to report to the scene. These false alarm calls can take up to two
hours of an officer's time, thereby deterring them from regular
patrols where an actual crime could occur. Not only do these false
alarms increase the threat of crime within the community, they also
have serious economic implications, and are often too easily dismissed
by uneducated consumers and the general public.
Police officials confirm that it costs taxpayers $58.40 for every
dispatch -- a number that does not truly reveal the severity of
this problem. Multiply that cost by the 38,405 invalid false alarm
dispatches and you will see that over $2.2 million in local taxpayer
dollars are wasted each year on false alarms. In a time of budget
shortfalls, this is a significant problem that businesses and residents
alike should need to recognize, and take steps to do something about.
The police have provided these tips concerning false alarms:
- Make sure the type of alarm is the right type for your particular
business and does not get set off at the slightest provocation.
- Make sure that you have the correct motion sensor for your location
and situation.
- Circulating air can move wall-mounted items, which can trip
the motion sensor.
- Make sure employees are trained properly and have established
protocols for when someone accidentally activates an alarm.
- If you have repeated incidents of the alarm going off, contact
your alarm monitoring company for an analysis of your system.
Take these steps, and you will be contributing to helping solve
the problems of the high incidence of false alarms in Gwinnett County.
Losing Veep candidates and Senator McCain's
bad week
By
Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher
SEPT. 30, 2008 -- How many of these people have you ever heard
of?
Charles Bryan
Joseph Robinson
Charles Curtis
Frank Knox
Charles McNary
John Bricker
Estes Kefauver
William Miller
Sargent Shriver
Dan Quayle
Jack Kemp
Joe Lieberman
Brack |
Bells starting to ring? All these persons were on the losing side
of presidential elections, and were the running mate of the losing
party's candidate. In a few weeks, we'll add another name to the
list.
Here's a complete list, from the Web site dailykos.com,
of the losers since for the last 88 years:
1920 - James Cox and Franklin Roosevelt (D).
1924 - John Davis and Charles Bryan (D).
1928 - Al Smith and Joseph Robinson (D).
1932 - Herbert Hoover and Charles Curtis (R).
1936 - Alfred Landon and Frank Knox (R).
1940 - Wendell Wilkie and Charles McNary (R).
1944 - Tom Dewey and John Bricker (R).
1948 - Tom Dewey and Earl Warren (R).
1952 - Adlai Stevenson and John Sparkman (D).
1956 - Adlai Stevenson and Estes Kefauver (D).
1960 - Richard Nixon and Henry Cabot Lodge (R).
1964 - Barry Goldwater and William Miller (R).
1968 - Hubert Humphrey and Edmund Muskie (D).
1972 - George McGovern and Sargent Shriver (D).
1976 - Gerald Ford and Bob Dole (R).
1980 - Jimmy Carter and Walter Mondale (D).
1984 - Walter Mondale and Geraldine Ferraro (D).
1988 - Michael Dukakis and Lloyd Bentsen (D).
1992 - George H.W. Bush and Dan Quayle (R).
1996 - Bob Dole and Jack Kemp (R).
2000 - Al Gore and Joe Lieberman (D). (Of course, we all know
Gore didn't really lose this election.)
2004 - John Kerry and John Edwards (D).
* * * *
In the nationwide commentary last week, an unlikely scenario began
concerning Sen. John McCain's running mate, Sarah Palin. With it
becoming more obvious daily that Governor Palin has serious drawbacks
being on the national ticket, now some concerned Republicans are
questioning if she should be removed from the ticket, or "remove
herself."
While we think Senator McCain is stubborn enough to keep her as
his running mate, it could happen. It could be the bolt out of the
blue that would propel McCain to victory, as he would admit making
a big mistake, and move to rectify it.
Yes, it happened before, in 1972 when George McGovern scuttled
Missouri Sen. Thomas Eagleton as his veep choice, after revelations
of mental illness and electroshock therapy. But that happened within
17 days of naming Eagleton as the vice presidential candidate. To
wait until virtually October to bring in a substitute vice presidential
candidate seems far too long to have waited. We fully expect the
McCain-Palin ticket to continue, but Senator McCain's actions last
week showed he is still very much the maverick, capable of such
U-turns.
Last week was perhaps Senator McCain's worst week. Some now say
that his decision to suspend the campaign, which he didn't, and
go to Washington was merely a smokescreen to obscure the emerging
anticipated negative reports. That included several polls showing
him falling more behind Senator Obama; the ties of his chief staff
members to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac; and the Palin problems in
her interview with Katie Couric. By week's end McCain was in Mississippi,
after he realized that he could not skip out on the first debate.
It wasn't a good week for the senator from Arizona.
One thing for sure: this year's presidential campaign has been
full of twists, turns and unexpected events. No telling what's next.
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In
split household, she's quietly voting for Barack Obama
Editor, the Forum:
I wish I could disagree with you about John McCain's latest political
ploy, but I can't. In my opinion, he is grandstanding in the hopes
that people will view him as presidential. Although I have voted
Republican nearly all my life, I cannot do it this time around.
Our country needs fresh ideas, change, and a calm leader who can
multi-task and set sensible priorities. My vote is going to Senator
Obama.
I live in a house divided. I've heard nothing but how wonderful
McCain is for trying to cancel the debate. To preserve my marriage,
I don't even offer a rebuttal any longer. I just wanted you to know
I think you captured the essence of the matter in your
editorial.
-- Bunny Drueke, Snellville
Coming presidential
election will go to Republicans again
Editor, the Forum:
Sen. John McCain took part in the debate as originally planned.
The upcoming elections will go to the GOP again and again. No surprise
there at all. You believed that John Kerry was going to win in 2004,
also, remember?
Mark my words, no radical, left or right, will ever win another
Presidential election. There will never be another George W. Bush
or Bill Clinton !
-- Roy McCreary, Dacula
Dear Roy: You will have folks on both sides of
the aisle who will agree with you, but also will have folks on
both sides of the aisle wishing these two could run again. We
agree with Washington, thinking eight years of anyone is enough.
--eeb
Liked article in previous
Forum, thinking it courageous
Editor, the Forum:
I read your last
piece on Friday. You are a courageous man and a fine American.
-- Doug Heckman, Norcross
Dear Doug: No, Doug. You're the one courageous,
running against John Linder in Republican Gwinnett. I'm just a
newspaperman who believes it's the duty of newspapers and forums
to speak their piece, though you don't find a lot of this around
much more. --eeb
McCain posturing and
Palin meltdown bodes well for Obama
Editor, the Forum:
Couldn't agree with you more on Friday's
piece in GwinnettForum. McCain's posturing coupled with the
Sarah Palin meltdown bodes well for the Obama camp.
-- Alvin S. Johnson, Sandy Spring
Undecided Know-Nothings
should take Election Day off
Editor, the Forum:
Joe Biden is a D.C.-lifer, a 36 year Senator who voted against
the Alaska pipeline. (Yes, he was around even then). He's a pompous
windbag plagiarist (British politician Neal Kinnock was a 1988 Biden
victim, sending Joe out of the presidential race). Biden never passes
a camera without stopping, is a walking gaffe machine, mostly unreported
by a compliant media. He aspires to be vice-president of the USA
? I'll take Governor Sarah over Senator Joe any time, and I'm no
fan of John McCain, who at least twice flirted with joining the
Democrats.
I believe debates are for airheads who haven't bothered to check
out the candidates previously. Guaranteed : You will see a media
person sticking a microphone in the face of some person (usually
a male) who won't bother to consider the political scene until about
October 31. The media person will ask this character how he plans
to vote and he will say: " I haven't decided. I need to watch
a debate before I make up my mind. "
These are know-nothings. They need to take the Election Day off
and leave the voting to those who have given it some consideration.
Literacy tests have been thrown out so it is possible to vote if
you can breathe. I cannot believe the large number of "undecided"
voters when the political game is a non-stop-run for the top with
plenty of information (much of it worthless) available.
-- Marshall Miller, Lilburn
Sam
Olens to give State of the Region address at Marriott
The chairman of the Atlanta Regional Commission, Sam Olens, who
is also the chairman of the Cobb County Commission, will give the
"State of the Region" address on Wednesday, October 15,
at the Gwinnett Place Marriott Hotel at 11:30 a.m.
Olens |
His address is part of the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce 15th annual
Membership Meeting. Mr. Olens will discuss the Metro Atlanta region's
strengths, as well as some areas that can be improved upon. His
presentation will cover key local issues, such as transportation,
water availability and economic development.
Cost of the luncheon will be $45 members and $55 for non-Chamber
members. Registration deadline is October 10. To register for the
meeting, contact Melissa Britt at 678-957-4958 or melissa@gwinnettchamber.org.
Cooking demo, women's
wellness workshop set in Lilburn
A Cooking Demonstration and Women's Wellness Workshop is slated
for Saturday, October 11 at Aerobics, Yoga and More located at 4051
Stone Mountain Highway in Lilburn.
This cooking demonstration and wellness workshop was developed
to discuss various illnesses affecting women at all stages of life.
Registrants will learn how certain foods, herbs and spices can positively
affect mood, fight illness and the side effects of disease. In addition
to taste-testing different foods, attendees will walk away with
screening information and resources to assist in identifying and
managing disease and illness.
The cost for the Cooking Demonstration and Women's Wellness Workshop
is $20 with advance registration by Friday, October 3. For more
information regarding the workshop or other AYM services log on
to www.AYMFitness.com
or call 678-749-7777
Final jazz concert
of 2008 set in Suwanee Friday
The final concert in the 2008 Suwanee Smooth Jazz series will bring
"All That Jazz" to Town Center Park Friday, October 3.
The evening jazz performers will begin at 7 p.m. The "All That
Jazz"-themed evening will include performances by Brian Clay,
Melvin Miller, and Jeff Sparks.
Bring picnics, blankets, and low-back chairs to Town Center Park.
Food, beer, and wine will be available for purchase. No outside
alcoholic beverages may be brought into Town Center Park. The park
is located at the intersection of Buford Highway and Lawrenceville-Suwanee
Road.
McCann, Marelle co-chair
leukemia research golf tourney
The When Everyone Survives Foundation (WES Foundation) for leukemia
research is planning its first golf tournament at the Sugarloaf
Country Club. Co-chairing the tournament will be Brian McCann of
the Atlanta Braves and Joe Marelle, state championship High School
Basketball coach of Duluth.
Bill Smith, president and founder of When Everyone Survives, says:
"When people of the caliber of Brian McCann and Joe Marelle
step up to help in this effort, it is gratifying. It doesn't matter
whether you are rich or poor, young or old, in the public spotlight
or private, leukemia can affect everyone."
When Everyone Survives is a 501(c)3, not-for-profit, charity established
by the Bill Smith family of Duluth to collect and distribute funds
for leukemia research. A total of $250,000 has been donated to the
charity for leukemia research during their first two funding years.
More information about the tournament can be found at the foundation
website, www.wheneveryonesurvives.org.
Tournament registration can be accomplished through the secure web
location. For further information, contact Dan Knutson with Golf
for Goodness Sake at 404-539-3227 or by e-mail at Dan@GolfForGoodnessSake.com
Volunteers needed
for genealogy records in Spanish language
Genealogy researchers will find searching out records easier when
doing research in Spanish, through a program sponsored by Family
Search, sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
The church is working in cooperation with a number of other organizations,
such as genealogical and historical archives and societies, to get
as many records indexed in Spanish as possible.
These records are now being indexed through the nonprofit organization
FamilySearch. Volunteers are needed to help with the indexing of
the large number of records, including many in Spanish, as well
as some other languages like Italian, German and French. Spanish
speaking volunteers are especially needed. Persons interested in
volunteering can go to the FamilySearchIndexing.org web site and
follow the instructions to register.
Designed for ease and efficiency, the indexing software allows
indexing to be processed on a personal computer at any location.
General Clark endorses
Doug Heckman for Congress
Army General Wesley Clark and his political action committee, WesPAC,
have endorsed Democrat Doug Heckman for the U.S. Congress in Georgia's
Seventh Congressional District, which includes Gwinnett County.
Heckman, who lives in Norcross, and is a West Point graduate, has
served for 27 years in the Army, both active duty and reserves.
He worked in leadership positions while stationed in places such
as Ft. Bragg, N.C., Germany, Central America, Afghanistan and Iraq.
He is currently a Special Forces Colonel in the U.S. Army Reserves.
Clark said, "Doug's ideas to develop alternative energy, lower
taxes for families and small businesses while balancing the budget
are just what the ailing economy needs. I also support Doug because
he'll fight hard to increase healthcare, education and other benefits
for our brave veterans. Doug represents a hope for change in Georgia
- a change to government that represents the people not just special
interests with lots of money."
The
Runaway Train, by Henry Kurtz
People in North Georgia, in particular, may enjoy Henry Kurtz's
The Runaway Train, a fictional account of the Civil War story otherwise
known as "The Great Train Chase." Relating how a band
of Yankee spies sought to disrupt the Atlanta-to-Chattanooga railway
line by stealing the train pulled by the steam engine, "The
General," Georgians will be familiar with the story. Mr. Kurtz,
who lives in Lawrenceville and is retired, gives you a flavor of
the times and the problems that James Andrew's raiders ran across
on the 87-mile chase. It makes something of a hero of the Conductor
William Fuller, who took first a flat car, then another locomotive,
to give chase, and eventually see the spies caught. The book is
420 pages, and printed by Outskirts Press, selling for $17.95. --
eeb
- An invitation: What
Web sites, books or restaurants have you enjoyed? Send us your
best recent visit to a restaurant or most recent book you have
read along with a short paragraph as to why you liked it, plus
what book you plan to read next. --eeb
Heart of Atlanta
Motel suit linchipin of hospitality industry
Heart of Atlanta Motel Suit Linchpin of Hospitality Industry
Many path-breaking U.S. Supreme Court cases have grown out of Georgia's
long and tragic history of racial discrimination. Perhaps no decisions
have had a greater practical impact, however, than Heart
of Atlanta Motel v. United States (1964) and its companion
case from Alabama, Katzenbach v. McClung, in which the Supreme
Court upheld the public accommodations provisions of the 1964 Civil
Rights Act. By 1964 it was well-settled that the "equal protection"
clause of the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution barred almost
all state-imposed racial classifications that disadvantaged African
Americans. But discrimination in the private sector remained widespread.
Under the leadership of U.S. President Lyndon Johnson, in the wake
of President John F. Kennedy's assassination, the U.S. Congress
mustered the will to proscribe racial discrimination by many private
service providers, including hotels, motels and restaurants selling
food that had moved across state lines. The constitutional difficulty
was that none of Congress's enumerated powers unequivocally supported
enactment of this "public accommodations" feature of the
1964 Civil Rights Act, and challengers assailed the legislation
as impinging on state prerogatives to regulate local matters free
from federal interference. One such challenger was the Heart of
Atlanta Motel, which brought suit to secure invalidation of the
act, because-stated in the Supreme Court's opinion-it "had
followed a practice of refusing to let rooms to Negroes, and it
alleged that it intended to continue to do so."
Notwithstanding such states' rights-based challenges, the Court
in the Heart of Atlanta Motel and McClung cases unanimously
held that the sweeping antidiscrimination provisions of the 1964
Civil Rights Act were a proper exercise of Congress's power to regulate
interstate commerce under Article I, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution.
In effect, the Court reasoned that race discrimination by even very
localized businesses, when viewed in the aggregate, had such far-reaching
negative effects on the interstate movement of people and products
that Congress could remove these impediments to commerce whether
or not its true motives centered on a moral condemnation of racism.
Ensuing enforcement of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 led to the dismantling
of many of the most overt forms of racial discrimination, which
in turn contributed to the emergence of the "New South"
and the explosion of economic activity that spread throughout the
region in ensuing decades.
Now here's one place
those statistics come from
"Smoking is one of the leading causes of statistics."
-- Newspaper columnist and Author Fletcher Knebel (1911-1993).
Send your thoughts, 55-word short stories, pet peeves
or comments on any issue to Gwinnett
Forum for future publication.
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MORE: Contact Gwinnett Forum at: elliott@gwinnettforum.com
© 2008, Gwinnett Forum.com. Gwinnett Forum
is an online community commentary for exploring pragmatic and sensible
social, political and economic approaches to improve life in Gwinnett
County, Ga. USA.
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