SAVANNAH, GA (May 30, 2013): Central Precinct officers will initiate their second season of a highly successful crime reduction program when they hold a Roll Call in the Street on Saturday.
Precinct officers will gather about 2 p.m. at a city-owned shopping center at Waters Avenue and West 36th Street. The Roll Call to start their afternoon shift in which they receive their usual updates from supervisors will begin at 2:30 p.m. They will be accompanied by Mounted Patrol, Canine Patrol and even Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police Department’s helicopter Eagle One, before beginning their afternoon shift patrolling the precinct.
The gathering is similar to the Roll Calls in the Street of 2012, except the Saturday schedule is designed to allow more members of the neighborhood to participate and see first-hand the resources deployed to help protect them. For this Roll Call, they are even adding free hamburgers and hot dogs, compliments of the precinct and businesses supporting the effort.
Capt. DeVonn Adams spawned the idea as part of his program called “All Hands on Deck” in 2012 in response to Chief Willie Lovett’s efforts to reduce crime in the jurisdiction. Adams asked the officers in his precinct to take special steps to reduce the traditional increase in crime during summer months when youths are out of school.
He began the “Roll Calls in the Street” to call attention to the effort, taking his officers to popular areas to hold the roll call that began their afternoon shift. He invited Mayor Council members, neighborhood association leaders and the general public to participate in the briefing.
In addition his officers delayed vacations and extra days off for the 90-day period to have more officers on patrol until school resumed, and he included special operation units such as canine and mounted patrols, bicycle patrols and the helicopter to patrol the precinct neighborhoods.
The result was a 30 percent reduction in crime during the summer, allowing the Central Precinct – traditionally the most challenged – to show an 11.9 percent drop in violent crime and 25.4 percent in property crime. Central also bettered 2010 – the lowest crime year on record for the department — by 16 percent in violent crimes and 8.4 percent overall.
Attendees need no additional invitation or response. The event is open to all.
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