<p>My son will be a 4th year in the fall, so it's been awhile since we've attended FACET. I'm wondering if Tech is specifically addressing the alarming number of armed robberies (and shootings!) of students near campus when speaking to incoming freshmen and their parents at FACET, Connect With Tech, etc. This is a concern for all students and parents and I'd like to know what is being done to keep everyone safe.</p>
<p>I received the following email this afternoon. Hopefully, this addresses your concerns:</p>
<p>June 24, 2009</p>
<p>To the Georgia Tech Community:</p>
<p>All of us here at Georgia Tech continue to be very concerned about the recent crimes that have occurred in the areas surrounding the Georgia Tech campus. I want to reassure you that we are committed to making our campus and the surrounding neighborhoods, where our students, faculty and staff reside, as safe as possible. I have heard from a number of you who have asked what measures, in addition to the numerous safe campus initiatives we already have in place, we are taking.</p>
<p>First, let me assure you that the safety and security of our students, faculty and staff is our highest priority, and we will continue to work closely with the Atlanta Police Department (APD) to protect you and make the Atlanta neighborhoods as safe as possible for everyone.</p>
<p>I have been pleased with the level of cooperation and coordination between the Atlanta Police Department and the Georgia Tech Police Department, and these two groups continue to work very well together. Yesterday, five members of the Atlanta Police Department, including Assistant Chief Peter Andersen and Assistant Commander for Zone 5 Joe Spilane, joined three members of the Georgia Tech Police Department and members of the senior leadership team from Georgia Tech to review our current efforts and discuss what additional steps we could take to enhance our partnership in addressing safety in the areas surrounding the Georgia Tech campus. Following this meeting, I spoke with Mayor Shirley Franklin and she assured me that the city would continue to support our efforts in every way possible.</p>
<p>Yesterday afternoon the Atlanta Police Department hosted a news conference on the Georgia Tech campus to outline their enhanced strategy. While it would not be prudent to go into detail about the additional safety measures begin taken by either the Atlanta Police Department or our own Georgia Tech Police Department, the APD has committed to the initiation of strategic roadblocks in Midtown, Centennial Place and Home Park, as well as increasing foot patrols in the neighborhoods that have experienced an increase in crime. The city will also begin tighter enforcement and control at nearby clubs and bars, and is utilizing technology such as automatic tag readers to quickly retrieve license tag information when looking for suspects and vehicles.</p>
<p>While there is no evidence to suggest that students are specifically being targeted, there is a clear profile. Individuals walking alone at night are at significantly higher risk than those who practice basic awareness and prevention techniques. We continue to advise our community to take every precaution possible to avoid placing yourself at unnecessary risks.</p>
<p>Because we are an open campus operating in an urban environment, we will continue to support vigilant campus safety programs. Our Georgia Tech Police Department includes more than 70 sworn police officers, operating 24-hour patrols on foot, motorcycle, bicycle, car and Segway. We have K-9 patrols and five duty stations staffed by officers, 190 “blue light” outdoor emergency phones located throughout campus and security cameras. In light of recent events, we have expanded the assignments and duty time of some of our public safety officers.</p>
<p>I want to close by again assuring you that we have the full support of the Atlanta Police Department and are working closely and collaboratively with the City of Atlanta. I am confident that these new measures, along with the cooperation of our university community, will improve safety in the neighborhoods surrounding Georgia Tech.</p>
<p>Regards,</p>
<p>G. P. “Bud” Peterson, President
Georgia Institute of Technology</p>
<p>It is definitely noticeable that gatech is increasing their security…I see a lot more gt police circling the campus especially at night.</p>
<p>Another armed robbery happened yesterday (Weds) right next to the North Ave apartments on Honeycut. No email from the school because it wasn’t a Tech student I guess, but it’s definitely very close to the campus and many Tech students live in the Centennial Place apartments where it happened. People get desperate in this economy.</p>
<p>[Another</a> Robbery Near Georgia Tech - WSB News on wsbradio.com](<a href=“http://wsbradio.com/localnews/2009/06/another-robbery-near-georgia-t.html]Another”>http://wsbradio.com/localnews/2009/06/another-robbery-near-georgia-t.html)</p>
<p>To be fair, these aren’t happening on campus, and the above wasn’t a Georgia Tech student and wasn’t on campus. The Centennial Place Apartments is low-income housing (i.e. “projects”) on the other side of the Georgia State dorms and Tech students should know not to go over there at night.</p>
<p>Crime is going up in Atlanta and midtown as a whole and little is being done about it from the mayor’s office. I don’t dispute that someone with a backpack is a prime target for thieves (they probably have a laptop or other valuables in the bag, and if they’re going to a college campus, they’re not carrying a gun), but I don’t think Georgia Tech or Tech students are being directly targeted.</p>
<p>Concerning the problem yesterday, the Atlanta newspaper site (ajc.com) headlined with “Tech” student robbed. The internal information stated the student was from another school (DeVry?). I do not understand what the Atlanta newspaper is up to, but I never have.</p>
<p>The student was from The University of Phoenix, not DeVry.</p>
<p>If you want to see a conspiracy, remember that the top journalism school in GA is at UGA.</p>
<p>But the most likely reason is to drive sales. “Backpack Stolen in Midtown” isn’t as eye-catching as “Robbery Near Georgia Tech”. I’m sure the headline would have been “Crime Wave at Emory” if someone was robbed in Druid Hills.</p>
<p>A lot of Tech students rent out those houses in the cul-de-sacs over there where the other guy was robbed. It’s cheap and they’re pretty nice places (2 bed, 2 bath)…I don’t think thieves will give a **** if you’re a Tech student or not…but where that person got robbed is literally right behind the South parking deck for the N. Ave apartments, where most upperclassmen live. Mapquest it, or go there…its not the projects anymore…its student apartments and right next to GT housing.</p>
<p>That area offers low-income assisted living. Sure some students live there because it’s within walking distance of campus, but just because they live there doesn’t make it not low-income assisted living. Everyone is well aware of the security issues living in the projects.</p>
<p>I have no sympathy for anyone that moves there for the cheap rent knowing that it’s not safe and later complains about safety. If that place was safe and convenient, the rent would double - why do you think it’s so cheap? Talk about having your cake and eating it, too. </p>
<p>Georgia Tech and the GTPD are responsible for maintaining safety on campus and they do a good job. In fact, people outside of GT are complaining about the police presence and security around campus: <a href=“How to get the APD's attention: Attend Georgia Tech | Creative Loafing”>How to get the APD's attention: Attend Georgia Tech | Creative Loafing; .</p>
<p>For those not aware of what we’re discussing, we’re talking about an off-campus public housing apartment complex: [www.CentennialPlaceApartments.com[/url</a>] </p>
<p>These apartments were built as part of the Olympic Village, and after the games, became property of the city of Atlanta. The City converted them to low-income and fixed-income assisted living (i.e. “projects”) See: [url=<a href=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlanta_Housing_Authority]Atlanta”>Atlanta Housing Authority - Wikipedia]Atlanta</a> Housing Authority - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia](<a href=“http://www.centennialplaceapartments.com/]www.CentennialPlaceApartments.com[/url”>http://www.centennialplaceapartments.com/) </p>
<p>The apartments are held as a model of efficient public housing. They’re actually nice looking, and as far as projects go, they’re safe during the day and convenient. If I needed assisted living, that would be my #1 choice. The problem is that it’s not a place you want to walk around at night (as is the case with any projects). </p>
<p>So there are some Tech students lured by the low rent and convenience that move there. They either ignore the safety issue or overlook it because of the other factors. After a few nights, these people realize that it’s pretty inconvenient having to be home by sundown every night, so they complain about the safety of the area. But since the area isn’t part of campus, the GTPD does not patrol it, and complaining does nothing since the APD are stretched fairly thin. </p>
<p>My advice: don’t live there and it won’t be a problem. Either live on campus or move to a place that you know is safe.</p>
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<p>The public housing behind the North Ave Apartments are approximately 1/4 mile from the entrance. The North Ave Apartments are fully gated with card-access to enter the complex and are continually patrolled by armed police officers. Further there are cameras and alarm systems to prevent access. The Apartment Complex has been there for 12 years, and to the best of my knowledge, it has never had a crime associated with a non-university (Tech or GSU) intruder.</p>
<p>I’m sorry but the way you call them projects seems a little condescending. Projects are usually used as a short term for section 8 housing, and Centennial Place is not section 8 by any means. And I don’t know what you mean by assisted living, but everyone I know over there does not need assistance and those apartments are not very accessible to people who do need assistance. I actually don’t see anything about assisted living on their website either, maybe I’m missing something.</p>
<p>As an out of state student who pays out the ass anyway, I would def consider lower rent an option. I chose Home Park because it’s closer to my classes. I’m in no way complaining about the GTPD not going over there…if you hear about the people getting robbed it’s always kids who are outside, alone, after 1am in the morning. Those apartments all have balconies too, so you don’t really have to go in after it gets dark (although theres really no place to ‘go in’ from over there…not like they have a yard or anything). </p>
<p>The point I was trying to make is that there are a lot of Tech students who don’t live on campus. Either it’s cheaper, they have more freedom to party, or they wanna live in the same place year round because they don’t feel like hauling all their crap to storage or from room to room. I think we can agree that Tech cannot house all of their students. Not everyone has cars to live far away and somewhere nice like Collier so many of them choose Home Park or Centennial…it just seems like a general concern for an incoming parent of freshman, where there is a good possibility they may live off campus somewhere in the future. </p>
<p>GTPD is all over Home Park right now, they patrol it and they set up road blocks there…yet when someone has a break in or a robbery, GTPD reroutes their call to central APD, something that just boggles my mind because I always though that GTPD was APD. And if they can set up road blocks on state street and patrol along Center and Atlantic all day, why can’t they respond to robberies in that area?</p>
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<p>Well for the people who can’t live somewhere safe or on campus for the reasons I just stated…the best advice is to not be one of the people walking alone at 1am in the morning and you’ll be golden.</p>
<p>[Atlanta</a> Housing Authority - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia](<a href=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlanta_Housing_Authority]Atlanta”>Atlanta Housing Authority - Wikipedia)</p>
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<p>How do you live there and no know this?</p>
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<p>There are many nice and affordable places along MARTA and a monthly MARTA pass isn’t expensive. If that still doesn’t work out, you can buy a clunker car that will get you from Point A to Point B for a thousand dollars or less. There are several other places that have free shuttles to campus daily.</p>
<p>If that still doesn’t work out, and you want “freedom to party”, join a fraternity and move in. Many of the houses on campus charge less than $200 for month, including utilities (internet, cable, gas, power, water, trash).</p>
<p>No one is forcing you to live in Centennial Place, and a “whoa is me” attitude that you were forced to move there is not only bogus, but immature.</p>
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<p>GTPD is a licensed police force (most campuses just have security patrols), but they’re not APD. They have their own jurisdiction (Tech Campus). That means that GTPD responds to crimes on campus, and the APD cannot without permission. Similarly, APD responds to crimes off-campus and GTPD cannot without permission.</p>
<p>Think of it like GA State Patrol and SC State Patrol. The GA troopers cannot respond (without permission) to a crime in SC, even if they are closer than the SC Troopers.</p>
<p>I don’t live there, I said I live in Home Park. Sorry when I though assisted living I was thinking of something else. My gf lived over at Centennial and she just told me that about half of them are section 8, so my bad there.</p>
<p>I did live in a Fraternity house for 2 years…not that cheap. $200 a month is very cheap rent (I paid around 325), so you probably won’t be living in one of the nice houses on campus. And you have to pay dues also, and your required to have the house meal plan, which all comes out to about 3k a semester on the cheap end…still more expensive than living in Home Park. A clunker car? $1000 or less is still a lot of money that I particularly can’t shell out (good thing I got a car from way back in hs), plus insurance, which is around $1000 usually even on your parents plan. Thats a lot of money on top of rent to live somewhere nice and off campus.</p>
<p>I wasn’t forced to move anywhere, if I want to continue living down here by myself and going to Tech with minimal debt involved after (trying to keep debt to only tuition), then I have to find cheaper ways of living.</p>
<p>I just see Atlanta Police on their cars (and getting taken to Fulton County once, in which the officer told me they were Atlanta police and we’re going to Atlanta jail)…and if they can do road blocks off campus then they should respond to off campus issues.</p>