Gwinnett Village CID News: Drug Crimes, Burglaries Down; Thefts Increase; Millage Rate Stays Same

The Gwinnett Village CID held its monthly meeting last Thursday (July 11) to discuss a number of agenda items, including the crime statistics for the area and the millage rate. 

The board of directors voted unanimously to keep the millage rate at 5 mills, which is no change from when the CID started in 2008. This year, property values are expected to increase 4 percent.

Aside from its first year, the community improvement district has seen a decrease in property values in its area. Click here for the full report.

Also discussed in the meeting was the CID's crime stats for the second quarter of the year. The district, which stretches along Jimmy Carter Boulevard past Singleton Road to Buford Highway and Indian Trail Road to Beaver Ruin Road, is seeing a decline in residential burglaries by up to 30 percent.
 
Executive Director Chuck Warbington said the reason for this is because the police have been patrolling the area more after seeing an increase in burglaries. If an officer sees someone loitering, they issue criminal trespassing notices. 

"[It's] kind of this new thing that they're trying to do to give people notice that they're there, that [the police] have your name," Warbington said.

On the other hand, theft is actually up 34 percent, which is primarily believed to be tied to car break-ins. Warbington said the biggest issue that the district is seeing is that people are leaving their valuables in plain sight during the day.

Another theft issue is related to small business owners. Gwinnett County Police is seeing a trend in owners being robbed on their way home because suspects know many take their funds with them when they close up for the night. So the county teamed up with the CID to get the word out on how to avoid being targets.

There's also an uptick in urban campers around I-85, particularly behind the hotels around Oakbrook Parkway, but Warbington said that's under control. The CID met with Gwinnett County Police to identify the primary areas where they run to, and last week, authorities "cleaned" out the areas.  

Warbington said that when they were arrested, authorities found property and luggage taken from nearby car break-ins at the hotels.

Drug-related issues are down 50 percent, too. 

"Gwinnett County Police has really hit this area hard, and we're seeing some of the things, the aspects of that being taken care of," said Warbington.

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