Peachtree Corners city council and mayor voted last week to approve a city Marshal’s Office, starting a local law enforcement service for its residents.
The city currently relies on Gwinnett County Police, but there have been instances in the past few years where county police could not respond right away, city officials say.
“For Gwinnett PD, being a large group dealing with a county that’s over a million people, obviously, they want to provide every service they can to us, and they’ve always been great partners. But there’s some things you just can’t get to,” city spokesman Louis Svehla said.
In 2022, Gwinnett police arrested more than 80 people who were participating in street racing activities at the intersection of Peachtree Corners Circle and Spalding Drive, the AJC reported. In a press release, police stated that a pizza delivery vehicle was also surrounded and damaged as it tried to escape the exhibition.
According to Svehla, another street racing incident occurred in the city, but police could not respond right away because there was a missing child in another Gwinnett city.
The marshal’s office will be housed in City Hall, starting with a small force.
“Right now, it’s scheduled for two deputy marshals and one chief marshal,” Svehla said. “So right now let’s say we have an issue with a nightclub, or a bar or a restaurant, that’s doing things after hours that are being reported. Instead of Gwinnett having to come and run operations with our code, we will have city marshals that can do that.
“They will have same police powers, they will have the ability to arrest.”
The new department will cost about $335,000 to get started.
“There will be a partnership between our City Marshal and the PD,” Svehla said. “It’s just trying to provide a higher level of safety and service to the residents within city limits.”
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