Guest blog post by Sergeant David Martinez – Community Resource Sergeant with Gwinnett County Police Department
The Gwinnett County Police Department works each day to keep Gwinnett County safe and work with the community to reduce crime. The police department’s Central Precinct is located in the Gwinnett Place district and serves as a meeting place for officers to receive their assignments and share information about crime. We are fortunate to have a great relationship with the Gwinnett Place Community Improvement District because it builds community-policing efforts. Central Precinct is conveniently located near Gwinnett County’s commercial core at Gwinnett Place and provides officers easy access to I-85 and SR316.
I have been a police officer with the Gwinnett County Police Department for 13 years and have served in various specialized units at the department. I currently serve as the Community Resource Sergeant for Central Precinct and Gwinnett Place. I act as a liaison between the precinct and the community.
To help reduce crime in Gwinnett Place, I attend the CID’s monthly board of directors’ meetings to provide crime updates. I also regularly communicate with local Gwinnett Place businesses and community members to exchange information with them about happenings in the area. The information is then shared with officers at the Precinct and is used to create problem-solving partnerships with the CID.
By building relationships with Gwinnett Place businesses, I want them to know that I can be their direct contact for incidents which may require special attention. I also want to make sure businesses receive information on criminal activity and crime prevention tips to help reduce and prevent crimes. Some of the more common incidents we see in our district are car break-ins and business burglaries. Below are a few tips to help prevent these trending crimes:
Car break-ins:
- Lock your car and leave nothing in it. Businesses should also promote this tip to customers
Business Burglaries:
- Install a working, audible alarm system
- At night, leave a light on outside the premise and make sure all doors are secure
- Consider taking the time to create a lock-up procedure
- If you’re unsure about your business’ safety, you can request a specialized officer to inspect your property and provide tips or a list of equipment you might need to maximize your security
Report all incidents immediately by calling 911 or Non-emergency 770-513-5700
For more information and updates from the Gwinnett County Police Department, follow us on Twitter or visit gwinnettcpa.com or. To view crime that has happened in your area, visit Crimemapping.com, a public site that shows any incident where a Gwinnett County Police report was submitted.
If you would like to reach out to me personally, please email me at David.Martinez@gwinnettcounty.com.
About Martinez
Sergeant David Martinez has been with the Gwinnett County Police Department for 13 years. He has worked in various units, which includes the Criminal Investigation Division, the SWAT team, proactive patrol units, and crime prevention unit. David is currently working as the Community Resource Sergeant at the department’s Central Precinct. He is seeking a Master’s degree in criminal justice.