Quality of Life
Task Force
by: Marnite Martin
‘The Gwinnett County Police Department is a nationally accredited and rapidly growing police agency located in the Northeastern quadrant of the Atlanta Metropolitan area. The Department currently has an authorized strength of 656 sworn officers supported by 266 non-sworn employees with the responsibility of providing law enforcement services to over 700,000 residents within an area of 436 square miles. The Department is organized into five divisions: Administrative Services, Criminal Investigations, Uniform, Support Operations, and Training.’
This exceptional police force is lead by a man with integrity and strong leadership skills. Chief of Police Charlie Walters began his career as a police officer with the Gwinnett County Police Department in 1979. He has earned promotions at regular intervals and has worked in all areas of the agency. Chief Walters has commanded the Training Division, Support Operations Division, and the Uniform Division. He was appointed Chief of Police in 2003. Chief Walters holds a master’s degree in Criminal Justice and is a 1993 graduate of the FBI National Academy.
With such an impressive resume is it any wonder Chief Walters’ main goal is to secure a safer tomorrow for all of Gwinnett’s citizens. Chief Walters was very influential in a countywide effort to get a handle on some of the smaller problems that face a fast-growing population, before those small problems become larger more significant ones. An initiative called “Operation Fixing Broken Windows” was implemented and has grown to its current status as the Quality of Life Task Force.
The Task Force has its origin from the program that was called, “Operation Fixing Broken Windows” in 2005. The initiative was put in place as a direct result of the work of Dr. George Kelling, author of, Fixing Broken Windows: Restoring Order and Reducing Crime in Our Communities, a book based on his experiences working with the New York police as well as authorities in other major cities.
The premise of Dr. Kelling’s book is that neighborhoods must keep up with the maintenance of the small things, like broken windows, to keep the smaller issues from becoming bigger, more dangerous ones. According to his book, a significant survey was launched back in 1967. Albert Biderman and his social science colleagues prepared a report for the president’s commission on law enforcement and crime based on a survey of citizens. Their findings indicated that there was a profound connection between their fear of crime and the existence of disorderly and deteriorating conditions in neighborhoods and communities.
 Since that time, “Operation Fixing Broken Windows” in our community has grown into what is now called, The Quality of Life Task Force. The Task Force is continuing to grow in Gwinnett as they serve our community helping us all improve our quality of life.
“If you want to keep your neighborhood you’ve got to fight for it. We’re fighting for our neighborhood.”
When Carlos Greene, a manager in the financial services industry, and his family moved to Gwinnett County from Cincinnati, Ohio, he and his wife Katherine did the unthinkable. Shortly after moving into their spacious Lilburn home, they promptly walked outside in broad daylight and went door to door to introduce themselves to all of the families in their suburban cul-de-sac. They shook hands! They got acquainted! With their new neighbors!
Does that ever happen anymore?
The answer is, yes it does! And what is the result of such unthinkable actions? Well, not so surprisingly, a lot of really great things! The Greenes have seen the emergence of a, “quiet security force” made up of a community of energetic, young families who help each other, watch each others homes while they are away and even trim the others hedges—just because. They borrow the proverbial “cup of sugar” and dad’s power tools. It’s a true community reflecting shadows of the sixties sitcom, “Leave It To Beaver.”
The Greenes had heard about the grand reputation of Gwinnett County including the exceptional school system for their three schoolage children, its close proximity to local shopping areas, and the current phenomenal increase in population that make it one of the fastest growing counties in Georgia. While diligently searching for the right home, their realtor and everyone they spoke with agreed that, “moving to Gwinnett was a great idea”. That’s why Carlos was surprised to recently learn about the Quality of Life Unit and the problems they target, problems he hadn’t truly witnessed in his own neighborhood.
The Quality of Life Unit was specifically designed to focus on neighborhoods with high crime statistics. Officers primarily enforce existing ordinances related to litter, trash, dumping, junk cars, parking, signs, graffiti, maintenance, storage, zoning, and occupancy. The driving force behind this unit is the idea that small problems left unfixed will lead to bigger, more detrimental problems later. A lackadaisical I-don’t-care-attitude says to the world, “Nobody cares. Not about this neighborhood, not about this street, not about this house.” Criminals then realize that they have a “safe” place to call home. Safe from decency, from law, and from what’s right. Think about it for just a second. If you were a criminal, would you rather operate your drug empire, house of prostitution, or illegal weapons warehouse in an area where your neighbors made sure that county mandates were strictly enforced, or would you rather have one in which the inhabitants couldn’t care less what their surroundings looked like? It’s a no-brainer. With the latter you would be free to pursue your illegal practices—that is, until you’re caught.
Perhaps while reading this article, you sympathize with those who live in high crime areas but you just cannot relate because your neighborhood, from the outside at least, looks beautiful. Corporal Darren Moloney warns us that, “It is important to note that crime is not limited to poorly kept areas”. The unit also handles calls from residents who live in areas that do not have elevated crime statistics. These calls are from concerned citizens who have witnessed non-emergency ordinance violations.
 So what happens when you call the Quality of Life Unit?
When a report is made, an investigation is facilitated to determine if there is actually a criminal violation. The first recourse is to issue a Notice of Violation in which the violator is made aware of the existing problem both verbally, and in writing, and is given time to correct it. Many citizens are simply unaware that they are breaking the law. (The old adage, “If we knew better we would do better” applies here.) If no changes are made, then a citation may be issued by a Gwinnett County police officer, taking all factors into account. Corporal Moloney lets us know that the primary objective of Quality of Life is not to just write tickets. “The objective is to bring the community together and encourage them to make positive changes”.
Deborah Phillips knows first hand about the effectiveness of the Quality of Life Unit. She has lived in Lawrenceville for 19 years and has no plans to move. When she began noticing both junk and large commercial vehicles parked at homes in her quiet community where, “everybody knows everybody on the street”, she contacted the Quality of Life Unit. Why did she take action?
“If you want to keep your neighborhood you’ve got to fight for it. We’re fighting for our neighborhood.” Her advice for anyone who might be contemplating whether or not to do something about the problems in their community is this: “Call them. It works and it cleans up the neighborhood.”
The impact of the Quality of Life Unit begins with officers who care about the work that they do and the people that they help. Officer Michelle Pihera cites some of the most rewarding aspects of working with QOL: “Unlike writing someone a ticket, where it is hard to see if you have made a lasting effect on the violator and all who saw the pull-over, in this unit we get to enforce county ordinances and zoning resolutions and see the effect we have on the public. The neighborhood gets cleaned up. Neighbors stop us to say thanks. Property values can go up. Everyone likes to live in a nice neighborhood”.
Why don’t more people get involved?
Could it be that our Tivo, X-Box, computers and cable channels have left us all too busy to introduce ourselves to our neighbors? Or, maybe we just don’t care. That can’t be it.
What motivates people like the Greene and Phillips families to carve out a moment in their lives, somewhere between lunch meetings and soccer practices, to stop and create ways to make their communities better places to live for everyone?
Greene credits his former Cincinnati, Ohio pastor with stirring up his family’s desire to reach out to the neighbors. Carlos says, “Stepping outside of your comfort zone to meet others creates a strong sense of community, cuts down on crime, and it’s our responsibility to reach out to others”.
Gwinnett Co. Property Maintenance
Ordinances The following are set standards for buildings and property maintenance. These ordinances are simply good property management standards that reflect community and personal pride in our places of residence.Here are some of the highlights. (For a complete list of ordinances, visit gwinnettcounty.com.)
- Exterior building surfaces and roofs must be kept structurally sound, weather resistant, and watertight. These surfaces must be free from holes, loose or rotting materials, and peeling or chipping paint. Broken windows and doors are not permitted. Other exterior surfaces, including walls, fences, decks, porches, and balconies, must be structurally sound and in good condition.
- Grass and weeds must be kept less than 12 inches high. Hazardous trees and stumps must be removed.
- Outdoor storage of building materials, rubbish, equipment, merchandise, appliances, and trash for more than 24 hours is prohibited. These items must be kept within a wholly enclosed building.
- Junk vehicles are defined as any type of vehicle that is inoperable, abandoned, wrecked, dismantled, partially dismantled, or has expired tags. Junk vehicles, which are kept on property for repairing are permitted so long as they are in a continual process of repair and kept in an enclosed building.
Signs are governed by a separate ordinance, which regulates size, type, location, illumination, and maintenance of most signs. It is illegal to erect most types of signs in Gwinnett County without a permit. No signs are allowed on a public rightof- way. Temporary sign permits, good for 21 days, are $25. Permanent sign location permits are $50. Permitted signs must display the permit number.
- The Litter Control Ordinance applies to all property open to the public and private property within unincorporated Gwinnett County. It is unlawful to deposit litter on any property or in any waters. Additionally, commercial businesses must place litter receptacles on the exterior of their premises in locations the public can access easily.
- Graffiti must be removed within 72 hours. If the property owner does not remove it, a court can order inmate labor to remove it with the cost being charged to the owner. Graffiti on private property usually indicates illegal trespassing. It scars neighborhoods, makes some residents fearful, and drives down the economic value of the property. It is strictly illegal and is not tolerated in Gwinnett County.
Gwinnett Chief of Police Charlie Walters weighs in with a charge to all Gwinnett County residents. “Be involved in your community. Stand up for what you believe in. Be our eyes and ears”. Chief Walters says, “All officers are trained on QOL issues. If we take time to go beyond the call [the reason they were called to the site] maybe we won’t be back”. He also adds that the Task Force has positions to fill. With such tremendous current growth and growth projections, clearly more and more people are choosing Gwinnett to call home, which only increases the need for the QOL. The Quality of Life Unit cannot achieve longlasting success without the help of individuals, businesses, neighborhood groups and the community as a whole. What separates those who talk about change from those who bring about change is simply the decision to take a stand. It is as easy as picking up the telephone.
To report a violation, please visit www.gwinnettqualityoflife.com or call 770-417-3430.
We’d love to hear that you’ve taken a stand. Email us at feedback@ accentgwinnett.com and write ‘I’M STANDING’ in the subject line. Let’s all stand up!
Whom to Call…
The following issues affect you, your property values, and your quality of life. You can help by being another pair of eyes looking for problem areas. By working together, we can make a difference.
- If you see graffiti, littering, illegal dumping, trash problems. Call: Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful 770.822.5187
- If you see junk cars, property maintenance, front yard parking, zoning, occupancy, fences, swimming pools, yard sales, illegal signs, livestock, or buffer zone violations Call: Gwinnett County Code Compliance 678.518.6032
- If you see unsafe/dilapidated buildings, building code violations. Call: Gwinnett County Building Inspections 678.518.6032
- If you see fire hazards, illegal burning, fireworks, explosives, hazardous materials. Call: Gwinnett County Fire Services 678.518.6100
- If you see abandoned or illegally parked vehicles in street, noise, unlawful behavior. Call: Gwinnett County Police 770.513.5000
- If you see trees or vehicles blocking a road, illegal right-of-way use. Call: Gwinnett County Transportation 770.822.7400
- If you see dead, stray, rabid, abused, or wild animals. Call: Gwinnett County Animal Control 770.513.5100 or 911 in case of emergency
- If you see rats, mosquitoes, stagnant water, pollution Call: Environmental Health 770.963.5132
- If you see erosion, sediment control, construction mud. Call: Gwinnett County Erosion Control 678.518.6099
- If you see storm water/drainage problems, broken sewers, water mains, fire hydrants . . . Call: Gwinnett County Public Utilities 678.376.7000
Note: Anonymous reports cannot be accepted. Gwinnett County does not regulate or enforce neighborhood covenants, deed restrictions, roof-gutter drainage, wetlands, or state and federal projects.
For more information about Gwinnett Quality of Life, visit gwinnettqualityoflife.com
Accent Gwinnett has used its best efforts in assembling material for this list but does not warrant that the information contained herein is complete or accurate, and does not assume, and hereby disclaims, any liability to any person for any loss or damage caused by error or omissions herein whether such errors or omissions result from negligence, accident or any other cause. Advertising in Accent Gwinnett is not linked in any way to the selection of doctors in this issue or any future issues. Any information provided is not a substitute for the professional judgment of a qualified heath care provider based upon actual examination of a patient’s condition and history.
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