Friday, August 31, 2012
C
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LONGTIME
VACANT, BLIGHTED PROPERTY IN SOUTHWEST ATLANTA DEMOLISHED
Community
leaders joined City of Atlanta officials to witness the demolition of a longtime
community eyesore and haven for criminal activity
ATLANTA
—
The Atlanta Police Department Code Enforcement Section joined District 11 City
Council Member Keisha Lance Bottoms today as they took another tough stance
against vacant, blighted properties with the demolition of a privately-owned but
abandoned apartment complex at 2020 Allison Court in southwest Atlanta.
Council
President Ceasar Mitchell, Council Member H. Lamar Willis, City of Atlanta Chief
Operating Officer Duriya Farooqui, Police Chief Turner and Maj. Davis were also
onsite for the demolition.
Council
Members Bottoms and Willis and President Mitchell all praised the demolition as
a positive step for both the City and the surrounding community.
“The
demolition of 2020 Alison Court is more than the tearing down of buildings,”
said Council Member Keisha Lance Bottoms, who represents the area.
“Instead, it represents the rebuilding of a community. It is a promised made
to the community and a promise kept. The families and elderly in this community
should feel a bit safer today knowing that these abandoned buildings, which have
often served as a haven for illegal activity and dumping, are no longer a part
of this community. We are working closely within the City to pursue
demolition of other properties within the area.”
"This
is a great day of progress for the City of Atlanta, for the surrounding
neighborhoods, and for the community leaders who fought tirelessly to see this
day come to fruition,” said Council President Ceasar Mitchell.
Council
Member Willis agreed.
“As
many people know my mother was injured by a stray bullet not too far from this
apartment complex,” Willis said. “I remember a community that was much
different than it is today. But thanks to the work of Council Member Bottoms and
area residents, this community on the rebound.”
Nearby
residents have eagerly anticipated the demolition, and city leaders agreed that
the property was not only an eyesore, but a potential public health hazard,
haven for crime and detriment to the community’s quality of life.
The
complex was abandoned in 2007, neglected and quickly became an illegal dumping
ground. The Atlanta Police Department’s Code Enforcement Section was able to
document the property’s dilapidated condition and secured a demolition order
from the In Rem Review Board in July 2010.
Since
then, Code Enforcement has been working diligently to prepare the property for
demolition, including asbestos remediation, rodent removal and the securing of
funds for, and awarding of, a demolition contract.
“When
communities are allowed to deteriorate, crime is allowed to breed,” said
Atlanta Police Chief George N. Turner. “No one knows that better than the
police, and those directly affected in the community. So we want to bring
everything we have to bear, and work cooperatively with other City agencies and
the Mayor and City Council, to tackle these blighted properties.”
The
City of Atlanta has placed a new emphasis on code enforcement, with a specific
emphasis on targeting vacant, blighted properties.
“In
2011, code enforcement functions were formally moved to the Atlanta Police
Department under Maj. Davis’ command. Under the authority of the APD, the Code
Enforcement Section is able to function with deliberate control in resolving
housing code violations throughout the City of Atlanta, and set in motion
strategic plans to address quality of life issues, environmental concerns and
improved property value by leveraging all available resources,” said Chief
Operating Officer Duriya Farooqui.
The
Code Enforcement Section set on a fast track to eliminate the more than 4,500
backlogged cases, address 1,200 inactive cases in the research phase,
re-institute judicial in-rem processes, and roll out vacant property
registration. Judicial in-rem proceedings empower the City to take legal action
against nuisance and highly hazardous properties in the absence of the property
owner.
“We
understand the community’s frustration in wanting these properties demolished
immediately upon the order being granted,” said Maj. Cerelyn “C.J.” Davis,
Commander of the APD’s Code Enforcement Section. “We know it is an
extensive process. But it is designed to put public safety and community health
above all else. We’re pleased to reach this point in the process at 2020
Allison Court and want to assure citizens that we are moving forward on many
similar properties.”
A
full-service police agency, the Department has adopted a community-oriented
policing philosophy and relies heavily upon community input and collaborative
problem-solving strategies. It is through heightened community involvement in
public safety matters that the Atlanta Police Department will most effectively
address its many priorities, including, but not limited to youth-related crime,
domestic violence and the fight against crime in Atlanta.
With
an authorized strength of more than 2,000 sworn officers, the Atlanta Police
Department is the largest law enforcement agency in the State of Georgia, and a
dedicated, high-profile force for positive change in our communities.
The
mission of the Atlanta Police Department is to reduce crime and promote the
quality of life, in partnership with our community.
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