Gwinnett Getting New Georgia State Patrol Post

A new Georgia State Patrol post will be established on Pleasant Hill Road in Duluth, providing additional law enforcement presence in the area.

The GSP post will be located in a portion of the former Edwin Watts Golf Shop at 1645 Pleasant Hill Road in unincorporated Duluth. The Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners approved a $31,000 lease agreement March 5 with R.W. Management for one year with two one-year renewal options, according to a news release issued by Gwinnett County. A permanent facility will be considered in the future.

The Gwinnett County Police Department’s special justice fund, which receives revenue from confiscated assets and the sale of property associated with illegal drug and narcotics activity, will fund the new post site.

“The new state patrol post will be a great benefit to our residents,” said Gwinnett Commission Chairman Chairman Charlotte Nash in the news release. “We are thankful for the partnership with the [Gwinnett] Sheriff and Police departments, the Georgia Department of Transportation and the Georgia State Patrol to provide additional resources in the county.”

An exact date for the post's opening has not yet been determined, but Gwinnett County Adminstrator Aaron J. Bovos, told Duluth Patch that the facility is expected to be occupied by the Georgia State Patrol this summer.

The Georgia State Patrol announced last November that 35 troopers would be assigned to the I-85 corridor in Gwinnett to respond to incidents in an effort to improve traffic flow along the interstate. Funding for the officers is being provided by the Georgia Department of Transportation.

“The increased presence of our patrol officers along with the new post will help alleviate traffic backups on this heavily traveled roadway,” said Maj. Hank Fielding of the Georgia State Patrol.

The new GSP post will be located in the Gwinnett Place Community Improvement District (CID).

“This is a major public safety addition to our community,” said Leo Wiener, chairman of the Gwinnett Place CID Board of Directors, in a CID e-newsletter. “The entire business community will benefit as more law enforcement resources are brought to this area.”

Joe Allen, GPCID executive director, expressed appreciation to Gwinnett County and the Georgia State Patrol for their commitment to the area around Gwinnett Place Mall. “The troopers’ presence will go a long way in combating the crime perception and be seen as a positive investment by the area businesses,” Allen said.

The Gwinnett Place CID has been involved with the process of locating a GSP post in the area since last fall, he said.

~ Duluth Patch