
Media Contact
William Inman
Executive Editor
Public Relations and Marketing Communications
[email protected]
ATLANTA—Georgia State University has moved swiftly this week to take decisive actions to eliminate the threats to campus safety and security after police were called in recent weeks to address unlawful activity near the university’s housing corridor along Piedmont Avenue on the Atlanta Campus. Georgia State Police (GSUPD) met with partner law enforcement agencies and are putting aggressive measures in place. President M. Brian Blake, Chief Operating Officer Jared Abramson and Dean of Students Anthony Davis also met with adjacent property owners and their teams to coordinate off-campus action plans.
Here is a list of actions being taken:
- Atlanta Police will add license plate reader cameras to supplement GSUPD license plate readers already in the area. This will increase coverage and help to identify street racers.
- GSUPD is partnering with several police agencies (Atlanta Police, the Fulton County Sheriff’s Department, the Georgia State Patrol and the Georgia Tech Police Department) this weekend to enforce all traffic and criminal violations committed in the area. This will be an ongoing partnership targeting problem areas downtown.
- Atlanta Police will be adding steel plates to intersections to prevent drag racing.
- GSUPD has requested through Atlanta Police that the housing corridor be turned into a “No Cruising Zone.” Atlanta Police will request this through the Atlanta City Council. This allows law enforcement to address cars that continue to cruise the area.
- GSUPD has authorized adding additional police officers to stationary post throughout the housing corridor in the early evening hours through the early morning hours. The patrol division has increased their regular patrols in the area to strengthen their presence.
- GSUPD is meeting with security teams of off-campus housing providers to ensure they are immediately notified of large gatherings, criminal violations and unruly behavior. GSUPD and the Dean of Students will be offering any assistance off-campus housing may need with students who violate any laws or the University Code of Conduct.
- GSUPD has spoken to owners of parking lots in the area to make sure they secure their lots and allow enforcement of any loitering on their property.
- GSUPD is monitoring social media traffic. They received a tip on a party planned in a parking lot on Easter Sunday and were able to get the owners to shut the parking lot down. The owners also gave permission to enforce trespassing on the property.
- GSUPD will have police drones (weather permitting) monitoring vehicle and pedestrian traffic this weekend.
- Uniformed security will increase their presence inside of Piedmont Central and Piedmont Central dining.
- In conjunction with the Georgia State Patrol and the Atlanta Police, GSUPD is reviewing video and identifying those seen breaking the law.
- GSUPD has provided video of this past weekend to the Office of the Dean of Students for their review.
- GSUPD’s Security and Criminal Investigation Division is monitoring live cameras in the housing corridor. This allows them to report any large gathering immediately.