Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024
Good morning. In this week’s public safety newsletter, we explore community solutions to public safety problems in Brunswick, Chatham 911 officials on the hot seat and continued concerns over private fire hydrants in Liberty County.
Questions, comments, or story ideas? Send me a note at jake.shore@thecurrentga.org.
Looking for public safety solutions
As a reporter who scours criminal court filings and writes about public safety issues, I see a lot of unsettling things. Between violent crime, police and prosecutor misconduct, and the fluctuating feeling of safety in one’s neighborhood, the topics I write about can be bleak for both reader and reporter.
That’s why personally and at The Current, I like to amplify stories of people who try to make their communities better. What’s the point of only showing problems, if we don’t report on solutions?
Last weekend, I witnessed 200 volunteers in Brunswick renovate the abandoned and overgrown basketball courts at New Glory Christian Center. According to organizers, the idea was to give children in the city’s Arco neighborhood another outlet to play basketball instead of crossing a busy four-lane road to Selden Park.
Organized by community groups A Better Glynn, Forward Brunswick and United Way of Coastal Georgia, the event also routed volunteers to repair 60 vacant public housing units and create care packages with books and blankets for children experiencing homelessness or foster care.
I attended in a reporting and volunteer capacity. Arriving at the initial gathering spot on Saturday morning, I was stunned to see so many people — white, Black and Hispanic, young and old. I heard Spanish and English spoken at different tables. They all braved the frigid weather to be there and took their assignments with stride.
Hours later, after the volunteers completed their tasks and broke for lunch, organizers served them Southern barbecue: a fitting payment for a day’s work. As I munched on a pulled pork sandwich alongside other volunteers, one county worker remarked that 200 people got more done in three hours than government does in years. That analysis was met with hearty and silent nods from the table.
Efforts to improve quality of life and recreation don’t just feel good. Case studies from the National Recreation and Park Association cite how investments in recreation, parks and green space reduce crime while also increasing engagement with young people.
You can read our story here for more details on the community workday in Brunswick.
One more thing: Do you have an idea for a solutions journalism story in the realm of public safety? Let me know at jake.shore@thecurrenga.org.
Other stories we’re following
Chatham 911 officials in hot water
Chatham County commissioners grilled emergency services leaders on Wednesday during a workshop meeting after complaints of lagging response times, unanswered calls from citizens and outdated technology.
“The complaints I’m getting which have increased significantly over the last eight months to a year have been from ‘we can’t get through, we can’t get through,'” District 1 Commissioner Helen Stone said at the meeting. She said she could not understand why EMS officials felt that four call-takers during a shift was enough for the growing county population as well as tourists.
Diane Pinckney, Chatham County E911 Communications Director, said the agency is understaffed, but it has authorization from the county manager to “over hire” to fill their needs quickly. There are 22 vacancies at the agency, 17 of which are for dispatchers. Pinckney and County Manager Michael Kaigler blamed nationwide understaffing for first responders.
You can watch the meeting and presentation from EMS at this link (start at 2:04:30).
Private hydrants, public problem?
A number of fire hydrants are out of commission in Hinesville, including those that safeguard two schools, a low-income apartment complex and a mobile home community, according to an investigation by The Current‘s Liberty County reporter Robin Kemp.
Hinesville Fire Chief Robert Kitchings first learned of this during annual flow testing of hydrants and got to work on those owned by the city. But several of the non-working hydrants are considered privately-owned and must be maintained by the owners.
Since publication of the story on Jan. 12, Kemp reports that the Liberty County Schools System chair questioned why the city had not informed them sooner of the hydrant outages. LCCS also told Kemp that the schools had other working hydrants on site. It’s unclear how well firefighters could handle an emergency with reduced access to water.
Brunswick community workday fixes up neglected basketball courts for kids
Abandoned basketball courts in Arco neighborhood of Brunswick revamped by volunteers over the weekend, part of greater community workday across the city in honor of MLK.
Brunswick clinic seeks to clear criminal records for fresh start
A clinic in Brunswick last Saturday sought to jumpstart applications for Glynn County GA residents seeking to restrict and seal their criminal records, a process known as expungement.
911 call-takers are demoralized, overwhelmed and dealing with their own mental health woes
911 call dispatchers feel demoralized and overworked. Plus, poor training on mental health crises and inconsistent dispatch codes may contribute to a violent police response.
Private fire hydrants pose public danger in Hinesville
Nine hydrants, including devices that service Lyman Hall Elementary and Taylors Creek Elementary, are the responsibility of the organizations that own the property on which they are located – the Liberty County School System.
Development continues as Liberty County fire protection lags
Liberty County officials have pushed for warehouse development while its fire department lacks key equipment and safety standards. A historic home fire in November displayed the glaring deficiencies at the fire department.
Support independent, solutions-based investigative journalism without bias, fear or favor on issues affecting Savannah and Coastal Georgia.
You must be logged in to post a comment.