Our community-wide effort aims to raise public awareness to improve public safety, in Buckhead and across the Atlanta region.

We have a target-rich environment in Buckhead with people coming here to shop or visit and leave valuable items in their cars, including guns, not realizing that they’re making themselves a target and contributing to a larger problem. There’s a very straightforward fix for it, though. If everyone who drives to Buckhead will take or hide their valuables and lock their doors when they leave their vehicles, we will see a decrease in the number of break-ins.

Livable Buckhead, with funding provided by the Buckhead Community Improvement District, is launching a multi-pronged campaign to reduce the number of vehicle break-ins in Buckhead.

Did you know that 40% of crimes in Buckhead are vehicle break-ins? You can change that!

Protect your vehicle by following three simple steps every time you leave it:

1. Take valuables with you, including your KEYS.
2. Hide anything of value that you can’t take BEFORE you arrive at your destination.
3. Lock your doors.

From a thief’s perspective, a clean car is one that isn’t worth breaking into. Take or hide anything valuable, even small change. And always remember to lock your doors.

SecurAmerica, an Atlanta-based premium contract security services company, has provided a comprehensive tip sheet to help keep you and your family safe while at home, shopping or while online.

Fighting crime is complex and all of us can help Zone 2 by simply knowing who to call for what type of concern.  The thing you need to know is that calling someone NOT on the list below doesn’t get logged properly and as a result is not taken into consideration when making sure the Zone gets the resources it needs.   Below you will find the resources you need for each type of issue: 

Which Number Should I call?  There are many people who can reach out to APD, but the best way to get in touch with them is to contact them directly.  Here’s the main way to do that: 

Emergency – 911 (something happening now) 

Homeless/code violations – 311 (Policing Alternatives Unit) 

Non-emergency – 404-658-6666 (something that happened yesterday that needs to be reported) 

Zone 2 Precinct – 404-848-7231  

Who Should I talk to for each watch? The Atlanta Police department operates on three different shifts throughout the day and night, so who you need to talk to depends on the time of day.  Here are the supervisors charge for each shift.  These are your first contacts aside from the numbers listed above. 

• Day Watch (7am – 3pm) 

Lt. E. Vincent eavincent@atlantaga.gov

• Evening Watch (2pm – 10pm) 

Lt. M. Crump mcrump@atlantaga.gov

• Morning Watch (10pm – 7am) 

Lt. A. Gilchrease algilchrease@atlantaga.gov

Who is in charge at Zone 2: Major Benjamin Vayens runs the zone and is always accessible if you have issues that aren’t being handled by the watch supervisors, but we ask that you give the shift supervisors the opportunity to handle situations before going to him.   

Major Benjamin Vayens BVayens@atlantaga.gov 

What does Atlanta 911 consider an emergency or a non-emergency? Atlanta 911 can receive emergency and non-emergency requests for police dispatch; however, we request that citizens only use 9-1-1 for emergencies that are time-sensitive in nature or affect life safety. This can include in-progress crimes, medical calls, crashes with injuries, calls where a perpetrator is still in the area, and violent crimes. To ensure that the 911 lines remain available for true emergencies, we ask that citizens dial 3-1-1 and selection Option 2 when trying to report non-emergencies such as crimes which have already occurred, incidents were citizens’ lives are not in danger, noise violations, fender benders, etc.

Why and when are citizens now asked to call 311? Citizens are being asked to call 311 because 3-1-1 is much easier to remember than our previously advertised non-emergency number, 404-658-6666. Historically when citizens have needed to reach us, they can only remember 911 rather than the 10-digit number, so we wanted to assist them with making the right call for the right type of call! By dialing 3-1-1 and selecting Option 2, citizens are still routed to the dispatch center, but their calls will hold if a 911 emergency call is received at the same time.

Additionally, FAQs appear on 311’s website for police-related matters which may assist you in reaching the correct Division or Unit sooner than had a citizen dialed the non-emergency number to be provided the same information. Consider checking their website before calling if you just have a question, but do not need an officer dispatched to your location. https://www.atl311.com

 Are there other ways to request an officer for a NON-EMERGENCY? Atlanta 911 recently launched on Online Web Portal for Non-Emergency Requests for Dispatch, https://www.atlantaga.gov/request-dispatch. A citizen can visit the website via a web browser or their mobile device; a brief set of questions mimics the same questions that 911 operator would ask, and once submitted, an officer is provided the information from the citizen and can respond to their location.

 Are there other ways to request an office for an EMERGENCY? Yes! Atlanta 911 can receive texts via our Text-to-911 solution. You simply enter 9-1-1 in the telephone number field, and text us as you would text anyone else. These are considered for emergency only, but are a great option for those unable to speak, or need to send pictures related to an emergency incident

The Video Integration Center (VIC) is a high-tech operation that enables 911 operators to access a network of cameras across the city. This provides them with real-time information that can be helpful for officers responding to a situation, and is a valuable tool for increasing public safety.

The Atlanta Police Department is rolling out a new initiative to fight crime by asking the public to share the images and footage captured on their private surveillance camera systems and devices, including residential cameras such as Ring. The process for doing this is easy and cost effective and it is a great way to help deter, and solve crime in your neighborhood.

There are two options:

• Register your camera. Camera registration takes less than one minute via their secure online portal. Registering your cameras does not allow the APD access to your live video stream. 
• Integrate your camera. You can take community security one step further by giving the APD and first responders direct access to your camera feed in case of a nearby emergency. All the time or one-time, it is up to you. All you need is a small CORE device that you plug into your camera system. 

A program to avoid arresting individuals for nonviolent offenses has gone citywide, including in District 8. It’s called the Atlanta Policing Alternatives and Diversion Initiative (PAD) and is on track to assist 450 people this year who would have otherwise been arrested for nonviolent offenses.

There have been 132 referrals to the program in the first half of 2021. Officers can call PAD if they encounter someone who may have committed a minor, nonviolent offense and would benefit from services like housing or medical care instead of going to jail. The most common incidents involved trespassing or urban camping.

Residents can also dial 311 to notify PAD as an alternative to calling 911 to help individuals who would benefit from services. PAD received 347 referral requests from the public from January to June.

The 311 hotline accepts calls to PAD from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday. To make a referral to PAD, dial 311 and select “Option 1” to speak to a 311 customer service agent. The PAD team aims to respond to immediate requests within 30 minutes.

In an effort to provide accurate crime statistics and to contextualize those statistics, Livable Buckhead provides quarterly analysis of crime data for Zone Two of the City of Atlanta, which encompassed Buckhead.

The statistics are obtained through publicly accessible portals for the City of Atlanta Police Department (APD). Analysis is done in cooperation with APD’s Zone Two commander.

Leaders from 11 business and civic organizations, local government and law enforcement released the Buckhead Security Plan, a blueprint for addressing rising crime in Buckhead. The Buckhead Security Plan includes near-term and longer-term actions to increase the safety and security of people who live in, work in and visit Buckhead for shopping and entertainment.

The Buckhead Security Plan includes strategies to improve crime deterrence and enforcement of existing laws, as well as changes to policies and procedures that will have a positive impact on public safety.

Property owners and managers across Buckhead are banning together to combat crime – especially vehicle break-ins. There are two ways you can help:

Help us spread the “Take, Hide, Lock” message

We have tools to help you reduce vehicle break-ins on your property. Highly visible parking deck signs, lobby boards, retractable banners and other materials can help you remind employees and patrons to lock their vehicles and take valuable with them. We can also provide information for your own internal communications, such as newsletter articles and social media posts.

Order materials for your commercial or multi-family property today.

Police officers make great neighbors, and we’d like to have more of them in Buckhead! Thanks to funding from the Buckhead Community Improvement District and in cooperation with the Atlanta Police Foundation, Atlanta Police Department officers are eligible for a one-year housing subsidy of $650 per month. Combine that subsidy with the courtesy officer discount offered by some of Buckhead’s best apartment communities, and you can significantly reduce the cost of living in Buckhead.

Subsidies from the Buckhead CID are limited.