Brook Run speeders may see blue lights

http://www.thecrier.net/articles/2007/10/23/front/brookrun.txt

By Bill Florence for The Crier

One man’s crusade to have DeKalb County police officers put the brakes on speeding drivers in Brook Run Park soon may result in more police patrolling the park’s roadways.

Increased police presence within the park would be good news to dog owners who use Brook Run’s popular dog park and who have expressed growing concerns about park safety after several break-ins last month to cars in the parking lot adjacent to the dog park.

Brook Run currently has one full-time security officer, an employee of a private security firm, who is responsible for monitoring safety issues within the 102-acre park from a small security booth located at the park’s entrance on North Peachtree Road.

John Heneghan, president of the Dunwoody North Civic Association, lives three blocks from Brook Run. He and his family are park regulars, and he keeps a close eye on everything that’s happening within the park.

“I was at Brook Run in July, towards the back end of the park, when I saw a speeding car come over the top of a hill and swerve at the last second to narrowly miss hitting a young boy on his bicycle,” said Heneghan. “I thought, ‘something needs to be done about this.’”

The incident spurred Heneghan to contact DeKalb officials about the lack of speed limit signs within the park. The county subsequently put up signs placing a maximum 15 miles per hour speed limit throughout the park.

Heneghan then asked DeKalb police to actively monitor the speed limit within the park using speed detection devices, such as radar or laser speed guns, or just parking a patrol car in a conspicuous location along the park’s main road to serve as a warning to speeders.

He was surprised when police officials told him they weren’t authorized to use speed detection devices within the park, citing a state statute that requires counties to apply to the Georgia Department of Public Safety for authorization to use speed detection devices to enforce a posted speed limit.

According to Heneghan, DeKalb officials have initiated the process of requesting permission from the state to use speed detection devices within Brook Run.

State law also stipulates that police can’t make a case based on a speed detection device unless a driver is caught speeding more than 10 miles per hour above the posted speed limit.

The law does make exceptions for strict enforcement of speeds using detection devices in properly marked school zones, historical districts, and residential zones, and Heneghan thinks state legislators should amend the law to include one additional exception.

“Roads within, or adjacent to, a park should added to the list of exceptions requiring strict enforcement of speed limits,” said Heneghan. “In a public park full of children, where speeds should be lowered, it’s ridiculous that current law penalizes police officers using detection devices and allows an extra 10 miles per hour of speed before someone can be charged with speeding.”

Heneghan said he is encouraging north DeKalb’s state legislators to change the state statue to improve safety within Brook Run and other local parks throughout Georgia.

He also spoke last week with Maj. Gerald Horner of the DeKalb Police Special Operations department about the feasibility of placing an electronic speed monitoring sign in the park, as well as having police officers regularly sit and monitor speeds within the park’s interior.

Dog lovers who use Brook Run’s off-leash dog park also are actively seeking help from the police to increase park safety and security.

Members of Just A Walk In The Park (www.jawitp.com), an organization of more than 160 individuals who use Brook Run’s Henry Jones Dog Park, have organized a meeting at the dog park with the DeKalb Police October 30, at 10 a.m. to express their concerns about park safety.

In other park news, demolition of the old Brook Run hospital buildings is proceeding as planned, although DeKalb County recently gave the project contractor another 60 days for additional “site restoration” work on flat, usable land, and on parking lots and roads.

According to Heneghan, Parks Department officials have told him the park’s rear 30 acres will be ready and open to the public in mid-December or early January.

“Like all of us, I’m looking forward to the opening of this remaining piece of Brook Run,” said Heneghan. “The work appears to be coming along, and I’m hoping the final result will be a big, beautiful park we can all enjoy.”