(PHOTO BY JESSIE DAVIS / THE VILLAGE REPORTER)
IN THE DARK … Lighting concerns at the Delta Police Department, seen here, are one of several topics new Chief Samuel Chappell is working to address.
By: Jesse Davis
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
jesse@thevillagereporter.com
New Delta Police Chief Samuel Chappell is already looking to make improvements to the department, starting with better lighting at the station.
“There’s not great lighting on the sign, and definitely on the north side of the building, so we’re looking at different ways to light the building to make it more visible from the road and for people to be able to find it,” Chappell said.
In the short term, he has had solar lights installed around the sign but noted that sunshine has been limited also limiting their usefulness. Running a dedicated electric line to lights at the sign is more of an issue, he said.
Chappell is also looking to bring an emergency phone currently located outside the station into the lobby. In case of emergency, residents can use the phone to reach officers inside. If no one there answers, it automatically reroutes to the Fulton County dispatch line.
“If there’s an emergency and you’re using that phone and you’re at an offset time – at night when there’s not a ton of staffing or officers are out on the road on calls – then the person that’s outside wouldn’t have to wait outside,” he said.
The issue of exposure to the elements is particularly pointed during the current weather system and as temperatures are set to drop further next week, he said.
Some steps still need to be taken before the phone relocation can occur. According to Chappell, there is already a secure lobby which can be locked out from the rest of the department, but there is no fob reader inside to allow officers to get through to the interior of the station. He said that will need to be addressed before the front door can be left unlocked at all hours.
Lighting and the phone relocation aren’t the only improvements Chappell is looking to make within the department. Another issue raised at the recent council meeting was a lack of signage pointing people to the station itself.
“That’s something we’ll get with the street department to look at,” Chappell said. He said he’s not sure yet where he would like them to be, but that it would be good to have at least two or three located around the village.
An inventory of department equipment has also been completed. “We’re in the process of updating things and trying to see what we have that we don’t need, where efficiencies are,” he said.
On the community communication front, Chappell just held his first “Brew with the Blue” event on Tuesday, where residents could come to the station and have coffee and refreshments with him and any other available officers to discuss their questions and concerns regarding policing in the village.
He plans to continue holding the event on a monthly basis, advertising them on the department’s Facebook page.
Although the first one was held at the station, he is hoping to hold future events throughout the community, potentially at local restaurants.
The first was held in the morning, but he plans to hold some future occurrences in the evening or on the weekend to allow more residents the opportunity to attend.