The police chiefs for the cities of Dunwoody, Chamblee, Brookhaven, and Doraville held a news conference today to urge the DeKalb County School District to approve the use of Automated Traffic Enforcement Safety Devices (ATESD) in certain school zones.

In November, the chiefs wrote a joint letter to the DeKalb County School District Superintendent, Board Members, and staff to seek approval but did not receive a response.

“Their inaction has jeopardized the safety of students in and around the schools in these cities,” said Dunwoody Police Chief Billy Grogan.

Georgia passed HB 978 in 2018, and Governor Deal signed the bill into law on May 18, 2018. The law went into effect on July 1, 2018.

The law authorizes the use of Automated Traffic Enforcement Safety Devices (ATESD) in school zones. As part of the new law, specific guidelines must be met, and all applications for a permit to install the traffic cameras must be signed off by the affected school district.

“No department has the resources to assign a police officer to school zones every day,” Chief Grogan added. “This program allows us to make the roads safer even when officers are patrolling in other areas of the community.”

The goal for all four cities in implementing an ATESD program near the schools that qualify is to make the roadways and areas around the schools safer for the children attending and the motoring public.

Grogan said municipal police departments in Gwinnett County have had support from Gwinnett County schools for installing speed cameras. They've also had success with the program.

“This isn’t about raising revenue,” said Chief Grogan. “It’s about safety and awareness.”

For more information, contact Sgt. Michael Cheek, Dunwoody Police Information Officer at michael.cheek@dunwoodyga.gov or by calling (678) 382-6909.