MPSA Patrol
Serving Midtowners
An effective public security blueprint for a neighborhood like ours must have a proactive patrol at its core.
The MPSA Patrol serves as our primary strategy in reducing crime and undesirable activity in our neighborhood. We launched the MPSA Patrol in 2003 to stabilize the neighborhood from the effects of increasing criminal and undesirable activity on our streets. Surrounding areas all had patrols, thereby creating a drainage effect on what later became the MPSA service area.
The MPSA coordinates funding for this patrol, which operates according to budgetary considerations and overall neighborhood security needs. The MPSA devotes its budget almost exclusively toward the patrol. We provide the officers with a schedule, map, and a vehicle, who then work for us within the guidelines set by the Atlanta Police Department, and other laws and regulations affecting law enforcement.
The MPSA Patrol helps to provide our neighborhood with localized, proactive and problem-oriented patrolling. Neighborhoods such as ours need to supplement regular police coverage with off-duty officer patrols due to understaffing and under-equipment of regular police operations.
The MPSA Patrol provides APD officers the opportunity to spend time in our neighborhood and to take a closer look at what drives the problems here. They often pick up very useful information that they can work with in regular APD positions.
Our beautiful neighborhood has come a long way since we established the MPSA Patrol, yet much work remains. So please join today if you live or operate a business in our service area.
SGT. COOPER, YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD PATROLMAN
In 2006 the MPSA hired Sgt. Bill Cooper as our patrol director when he retired from the APD. When he is not personally driving patrols, he is organizing the work schedule of the other officers to best address the recent crime trends with our limited resources. He also works with the Atlanta Police to bring their resources to bear on “quality of life” issues within our community.
Because of Midtown’s proximity to Ponce de Leon Avenue – with its inherent problems with street drugs, prostitution, and vagrancy – Sgt. Cooper proactively works with home and business owners to effectively address these problems. He developed a Criminal Trespass Program to help businesses deal with panhandlers and vagrants intimidating their customers. When requested, Sgt. Cooper also offers suggestions to homeowners and condo associations to make their property more secure.
Along with his other duties, he is responsible for developing a traffic plan for dealing with the extra surge of traffic created by Piedmont Park special events. Sgt. Cooper also makes himself more accessible to MPSA members with call-forwarding to his cell phone from the patrol phone when he’s not on duty. As an added bonus, he is available to take police reports at your convenience without having to wait for the APD. This works well for minor larcenies and police reports needed for insurance purposes.
The MPSA is indeed fortunate to have the experience and expertise of this seasoned veteran of the APD. When you see him on patrol, please do not hesitate to wave him down and introduce yourself. He’s waiting for the chance to meet all of our members and personally be of service to them.
MAP OF MEMBERSHIP AREA AND PATROL COVERAGE:
- From Juniper St to the defunct railroad track just east of Monroe Drive and Home Depot
- From Ponce de Leon Avenue to 10th Street.
- Highlighted in green on the map
- All of Kennesaw Avenue, Penn Avenue, Myrtle Street, are in the service area, along with Glen Iris Drive down to but not including North Avenue
Sponsors
Many thanks for our community sponsors! While the majority of our funding comes from residents and small businesses, a significant portion of our neighborhood patrol funds comes from the following sponsors:
