Time to "Git-R-Done"

It has been a long time since we anticipated so much change in Gwinnett County as a new year rolled around. But, boy are we in for some changes as this year comes to an end. The first meeting of the new County Commission may include the name tags that say "Hi, I'm ____" That may be a bit of an exaggeration, but after years of seeing familiar faces we all may have to do some introductions. But, the acclimation process of new faces on the Commission is the least of our worries as we begin to look at next year. I am sure that everyone is putting their list together of the county's most pressing issues, so let me add my two cents to this process.

I am sure that you will all be astonished to learn that my list is of a law enforcement nature. This list although, just one of many, cannot afford to be placed into the to do pile. It must be placed, if I may use a new southernism, into the "git-r-done" category. The items on this list are not mere ornamental trappings, but rather things that have to be in place to preserve our way of life. I realize that the "way of life" comment can cause a heated debate as to what it means. However, despite your definition of our current way of life, there is no doubt that without a strong law enforcement presence the way of life would be much, much, worse.

Immediate needs are certainly keeping the crime rate on a declining basis. We can only do this by staying in step with population increases and ensuring that we have enough police officers in place to keep up with the pace. Furthermore, we have to retain the officers that we already have. The average experience level continues to get less and less as we bring on new officers and lose experienced officers to other jurisdictions based on salary deficiencies. While I have never seen a poll on the issue, official or not, I would bet that our personal safety will constantly be on the top of the list as to our citizen's priorities. There is only one way to do it and that means plenty of police officers who earn a comparable salary to our neighbors. It is well worth the investment.

Continuing to diminish gang presence in parts of our county is an imperative. The actions in this regard by our law enforcement agencies have been productive, but we must never let our guard down. This is a problem that we will have to deal with just as any other urban area does. Keeping a foot firmly on this issue is simply good sense. What about the traffic in our county, and more on point, what about the numbers of people who are being killed in accident
related incidents on our roadways? Want numbers? How about 75 or so, just this year. We hear about homicide numbers all the time, as well we should, but we must give traffic related deaths equal attention. We have to do something that will give us better control of the streets that are the lifeline of this county. Budgeting for things such as more red-light cameras, extra traffic control on our major thoroughfares, and increasing the penalties of those who are caught in violation of basic safety rules must be a priority. We have to get away from complaining about long lines in traffic due to accidents, but rather what can we do to keep the accidents from occurring. This mindset will save many lives of those who call Gwinnett home. I don't know, but that sounds like a goal that any government should have.

I realize that as the New Year's wish list start to pile up on our county leader's desk, that it can be overpowering. All of them are important in many different ways. But, there has never been a single more important issue in the history of a formal government than public safety.

Public officials change all the time, which is the way our systems work. But, the importance and right that we all should demand is the ability to feel safe in our homes. That always has been and remains a constant!

For further information, visit www.voice4victims.com

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Stan Hall is the Director of the Victim Witness Program for the Gwinnett County District Attorney's Office. He is also the host of the Gwinnett County Communication Network's television show "Behind the Badge."