Public Housing Residents Thank Cops

By Sandra Isley
The Chronicle

The residents and management of Piedmont Park held dinner last week in honor of the city’s Police Department.

Chief Pat Norris, Assistant Chief Ronnie Abernathy and a dozen more law enforcement officers were the guests of honor at the event, which held in the community building of Piedmont Park, a public housing development off of Liberty Street. Residents wanted to thank the department for its efforts to make their community safe.

The department has stepped up its patrol of the area. The increased police presence has changed Piedmont Park, according to residents. “ You have cleaned this place up. Piedmont Park is not the way it used to be when I first moved here,” Ken Nelson, the community’s Residents Council president, said in a speech to the officers. “Believe me, because if it was (the way it used to be), you wouldn’t be sitting here eating my food.”

Capt. David Clayton was a patrol officer in Piedmont Park in the 1980s. Today, he oversees the district that includes the community. When Clayton worked the neighborhoods, he said it had become a victim of the crack/cocaine epidemic.

“ At that time, violence was on the rise a little bit. Then it got progressively worse, now it’s getting better. I think 1985 just saw the violence really begin up here and now we’re seeing a downward trend because of everybody working together. That’s what I’m so thrilled about,” said Clayton.

Norris was presented with a plaque from the neighborhood that she said will be displayed at police headquarters for everyone to see.
The chief did not take credit for the turnaround.

“ All the accolades that you all have heard today, I cannot take credit for. The guys (officers) that are sitting over there at the tables and the supervisors, Assistant Chief Abernathy, they’re the ones that make it work,” Norris said.

The officers say the credit does not belong to them, either. They pointed to the residents’ openness to work with the department as the cause for the improvements. Nothing could’ve been accomplished if it was not for everybody working together, they said.

Property Manager Anthony Jones reached out to the police when he came aboard three years ago. Mayor Pro Tempore Vivian Burke helped him to form a relationship with Chief Norris. Jones said Norris and the department made a commitment that they would be there to help the neighborhood. They have not faltered on that commitment, said Jones, who said the number of calls to the department for violence and drug activity have drastically been reduced.

Abernathy – who Piedmont Park residents say is known for preferring hugs to handshakes – said that other communities can receive the same benefits as Piedmont Park if they are willing to work with law enforcement officers.

Fulton Meachem Jr., interim executive director of the Housing Authority, also spoke during the event. Each officer was presented with framed certificate before they enjoyed barbecue chicken with fixings such as potato salad.