Statistics show that the Gwinnett Village Community Improvement District has seen a drop in targeted and overall crime for 2012.
This is the fifth consecutive year for decreased crime in Gwinnett Village, which is the largest CID in the state of Georgia and covers parts of Norcross and Peachtree Corners along Jimmy Carter Boulevard, Beaver Ruin Road, Indian Trail Road and the I-85 corridor.
The annual statistics, which were provided by Gwinnett County Police, show declines in 2012 in total robbery, commercial burglary and motor vehicle thefts by 6 percent, 35 percent and 6 percent respectively, according to a news release.
Since the start of the decreasing crime rate in 2007, the number of police incidents has actually cut in half.
"The fact that we have seen these results coming in year after year proves that community initiatives are paying dividends," said Chuck Warbington, executive director for the Gwinnett Village CID.
"I can't give enough credit to the law enforcement professionals from Gwinnett County PD and Norcross PD who are working day in and day out to make this a safer community. The strength of those partnerships is truly the reason behind the success we've seen here."
The CID has seen a decrease in crime since the implementation of the district's Targeted Enforcement Zone program, which began in 2007. As an initiative voted unanimously by the Gwinnett Village CID, the program aims to provide additional security coverage for commercial properties in the district.
TEZ is a multi-pronged approach that includes consistent graffiti and litter removal, private security patrols and additional Norcross police patrols, which are all funded by the CID, according to the release. The patrols focus on suspicious activity, vehicles and persons in commercial areas of southwest Gwinnett County.
Since the inception of TEZ, the number of incidents in targeted crimes have cut in half, as previously stated. From 2007 to 2012, total robberies have gone down by 48 percent, total commercial burglaries have seen a drop of 51 percent and motor vehicle thefts have declined by 55 percent.
"This community is safer and consequently more vibrant and attractive for new business and investment than it has ever been," said Warbington. "We intend to continue our work to ensure that it stays that way."
Last week, Norcross Police Chief Warren Summers announced to the city council during their annual retreat that Norcross saw an increase in its 2012 crime stats, particularly in armed robberies and vehicle collisions. The main reason for this increase is the newly annexed area east of Buford Highway, he added. Crime rates had actually decreased in the older parts of the city.
This article first appeared in the Norcross Patch.
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