Targeted Enforcement Zone (TEZ) – Extra Security Patrols by Private Security Force, Gwinnett County police, and the City of Norcross Police

The Targeted Enforcement Zone provides extra security patrols within the boundaries of the CID. In June 2007, the CID contracted with Gwinnett County Police and then with the City of Norcross Police in December 2007 to provide additional police officers within the district. The officers, exclusively funded by the CID, patrol overnight and focus on suspicious activity, vehicles and persons in commercial areas of southwest Gwinnett County.

Through 2 years of implementation, the results speak for themselves. As of the end of 2008, vehicle break-ins, motor vehicle theft and commercial burglaries have declined 22, 21 and 10 percent respectively from 2006 (numbers gathered from the Westside precinct) even with a downturn in the economy.

To further the reduction in crime for the CID, the CID contracted with Specialized Intelligence and Security (SIS) in February 2009 to provide dedicated private security for properties within the district. The team of private security officers will have four patrol vehicles providing continuous overnight coverage, 7 days a week, for the commercial areas of the CID. The private security team is to act as a crime deterrent by being as visible as possible in the community. Early results indicate just under a 40% reduction in commercial burglaries over the same period in 2008. With the rollout of the private security patrols, the CID has budgeted just under $450,000 for all three phases of extra security in 2009.