Politics & Government
Location of North Precinct Uncertain as Possibility of Cityhood Looms
DeKalb County said it is 'assessing its resources.'
The new location of the DeKalb County Police Department's North Precinct is on hold until voters in Brookhaven vote this summer on whether to become a city, DeKalb County officials said.
The new facility was scheduled in 2011 to be built on a five-acre parcel of land near DeKalb-Peachtree Airport off Clairmont, between Bragg and Young streets, but after Gov. Nathan Deal to create a charter for a new city of Brookhaven, county officials decided it was best to "assess its resources," according to DeKalb County spokesman Burke Brennan.
"I think there's a perception out there that this is a done deal. That [the decision on the location] is complete and it's not," Brennan said. "There's got to be a North Precinct somewhere. We're keeping all options open until the voters decide."
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Nearly $3 million from a $36-million package of federal stimulus bonds will be used to finance the project. The North Precinct's relocation was initially prompted when the city of Dunwoody incorporated and launched its own police force. The current North Precinct headquarters is across from Perimeter Mall, on Ashford-Dunwoody Road.
Confusion arose, Brennan said, when remarks made by the Public Safety Director William Miller indicated that a decision had been made on a new site location for the precinct. Miller later forwarded an email to residents in Drew Valley saying he may have erred in his comments and that no decision has been made on precincts.
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Brennan confirmed that there are several sites being considered while the county evaluates costs and other police services.
District 2 County Commissioner Jeff Rader issued his official position via email.
"Unless the jurisdictional area served by the DeKalb County Police Department changes as a result of the referenda authorized this year by the Georgia General Assembly, the precinct should be built as approved," Rader said. "I hope that CEO Ellis will confirm his concurrence with this position, and will reaffirm DeKalb’s commitment to a new North Precinct in unincorporated Brookhaven."
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