A new Georgia State Patrol post in Buckhead aimed at curbing crime and improving law enforcement response times in the area now has its location — in Tuxedo Park on the Governor’s Mansion property. Earlier this year the state Legislature approved a $1.3 million budget to fund the new post, which will be accessed via Woodhaven Road off West Paces Ferry Road.
“With this new patrol post, our dedicated State Troopers will have another base of operations as they take the fight directly to criminals, and I look forward to seeing its positive impact on the Buckhead community,” Gov. Brian Kemp said in a press release announcing the post’s location.
New post details
The 1,750-square-foot facility will accommodate “close to 30” state troopers, the announcement noted. Twelve troopers will be directly assigned to the facility “providing increased accessibility to and security for the Buckhead community and surrounding areas around the clock.”
The post, which includes a garage bay, “will maintain the historical integrity of the (Governor’s) Mansion and surrounding grounds,” the press release said.
Neighbors’ reaction
Gigi Rouland, president of the Tuxedo Park Civic Association, said there was no outward opposition to post’s location among nearby residents, and neighbors “will most definitely benefit from an additional layer of security presences” in the area.
“The Georgia Governor has been our good neighbor for decades,” Rouland said. “Building this new GSP post on the Mansion property will provide a central GSP location in Buckhead without burdening taxpayers with the cost of purchasing more land. We also believe a GSP post at this location, not to mention the thirty state troopers who will be assigned there, will provide an increased public safety presence that will help deter and reduce crime not only in and around our neighborhood, but also in the other neighborhoods around the West Paces corridor.”
The Civic Association was given a preview of the new post on Sept. 19 by Deputy Executive Director of the Georgia Building Authority, Gerald Pilgrim, and Col. William Hutchens, deputy commissioner of the Georgia Department of Public Safety. Rouland said the presentation outlined key factors of the post’s operations and details on how the structure “would be in keeping with the aesthetics and design of the Governor’s Mansion and our historical neighborhood.”
“We believe a permanent GSP post here, with as many as thirty additional state troopers coming and going at different times, will provide a public safety presence that will not only help deter property and other crimes in the area, but also give our local APD officers additional support and assistance in keeping our community safe,” Rouland said.
Georgia Speaker of the House Jon Burns said the post will improve law enforcement response times around Atlanta and “improve coordination between state and local law enforcement.”
Continued crime-fighting initiatives
Construction is slated to begin on the new GSP post early next year. A construction timeline and expected completion date have not been announced.
The new GSP post continues a string of crime-reduction efforts in the Buckhead area. Earlier this year, the Buckhead Safety Alliance group launched its security patrols for monitoring five of Buckhead’s commercial areas. The patrols include three staffed Atlanta Police Department patrol cars to monitor commercial districts with the same policing power as the APD. These efforts appear to be working. Overall crime in zone 2 (Buckhead) was down 14% in 2022 and year to date there has been a further decline of 2%.
