Dunwoody: Less Crime or Less Enforcement?

The number of Crime/Arrests/Cases filed by the Dunwoody Police Department has decreased drastically in the past week.  For the seven day period of March 15 - March 21, the daily average of cases filed daily by Dunwoody Police is 15.  The same period in March of 2019 saw an average of 56 cases per day.

With a 70% decrease in reported police cases, will we see a temporary reduction in staffing?  I doubt it. Government always grows.

March 2020 Cases Publicly Filed on Portal

What we are seeing in Dunwoody is not unique.  Police departments across the country are issuing fewer citations and arresting fewer people.  Much of this is related to jail capacity courts being closed or operating on reduced schedules.  ICE has postponed most arrests and focused on those posing  a risk to the public and those subject to mandatory arrest.  LAPD and the LA Sheriff Dept has seen a huge decline in arrests since the Chinese virus pandemic has worsened.  What's the reason for this in Dunwoody? It's not police ignoring crime and not responding to calls.

With many fewer workers showing up to jobs in the PCID (Perimeter) area.  This means fewer traffic accidents and fewer cars to violate traffic laws.  There is also fewer people at Perimeter Mall, resulting in a huge reduction of crime in the city's highest crime area.  Phipps and Lenox are closed, and if Perimeter Mall closes entirely (most stores are closed but some remain open and the food court is not open for dining) things will really be quiet for local police officers, we hope It's well documented that high density areas and large retail settings bring more crime (and tax dollars).  The PCID is a big trade off for Dunwoody homeowners.  It brings in the bulk of the money in the city bank account, keeping residential taxes low, but brings with it crime and traffic, and the need for more police officers.  Is this huge downturn of crime proof that bringing high density and lots of retail to the Dunwoody Village is a bad idea for the families living 100 yards away from the Village?

There are still criminals and predators out there - they just aren't making a big scene in Dunwoody currently.  The fear among many is that these bad folks start looking for opportunities in our residential areas.  Our cub reporters have seen a much larger presence in the neighborhoods as of late.  Perhaps police have shifted more resources to the city's quiet neighborhoods during this time.  No matter the reason, it's nice to see fewer and fewer crime reports here in Dunwoody. And hopefully the neighborhoods remain safe and the only illegal thing we see are signs cluttering the right-of-way.