The City of South Fulton is set to invest over $100 million in a new public safety training facility and headquarters, citing the deplorable conditions of the current facilities.
The new facility will be strategically located on 51 acres along Cascade Palmetto Highway, aiming to serve the entire city more effectively. The current precincts are outdated, with rusty equipment, cramped spaces, and buildings that have not been updated for 50 years.
The lack of a sally port, which is a secure place to process detainees, at the main precinct has already led to at least two prisoner escapes, leading them to injure themselves and an officer.
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“Some of the places are deplorable, really. The working conditions are really, really bad,” Brenda Pope-Branch told Channel 2’s Tyisha Fernandes.
Pope-Branch toured the facilities to see firsthand where police officers and firefighters are working and training, outdated rusty equipment, cramped spaces and and buildings that haven’t been updated for 50 years.
Capt. Jubal Rogers highlighted the security issues, stating, “We’ve had two — at least two prisoners — escape out of this precinct because we didn’t have a sally port.”
Pope-Branch expressed disbelief at the conditions, saying it’s worse than she imagined.
“I can’t understand how their morale is even — there has to be low morale just coming to see those types of work conditions you have to come to every day," she said.
Fire Chief Chad Jones pointed out logistical challenges, mentioning, “It would be nice to have (a gas pump) over near Old National, Oakley, Cedar Grove, so people don’t have to travel so far.”
The city currently operates three police precincts, with the main one being described as a tiny space lacking essential facilities, including the sally port.
The city is financially stable, with about $100 million in reserves, and council members assure residents that they do not need to worry about funding the new facility.
"it is time - so I’m excited to be here. We wanted the residents to have an opp to visually see what we’re going through as far as ya know making sure that our public safety has the proper housing and facilities and I think it’s been really good," Councilmember Carmalitha Gumbs/City of South Fulton
Construction of the new facility is expected to start in about two years, with city officials and residents hopeful that it will significantly improve public safety infrastructure and morale among public safety personnel.
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