Robbery at McDonalds in Peachtree City

I'm not sure why this particular crime (see below for news release) struck such a sour note for me, but it did. It's not just the fact that the robbers stole the three Ronald McDonald charity boxes, which is low. I think it's the idea that here in Fayette County this kind of crime is happening at all.

I've lived in Fayette County for well over 20 years. We've grown quite a bit, so an increase in crime is probably to be expected. However, I am seeing more and more of the "typical" crimes that occur in large cities and larger communities happening in our backyard. Crime has changed and crime has increased. I don't like it, and I'm sure you don't either.

Stores robbed at gunpoint, car jackings, and other crimes are on the rise. Sure, some say they're perpetrated by people from outside the county in most cases. They're still happening, and they're happening in the places we frequent. We now have more things in this county that act as magnets: more restaurants, more stores, more of everything that attracts a criminal element.

I hate to write about, or even think about, things like crime, murder and mayhem. The Fayette Front Page focuses on the good news and on the vast majority of great citizens in our wonderful community. But we also promise we'll give you the straight facts and let you know when bad things occur, without any hype or sensationalization, too. Our readers are intelligent and don't need us to interpret for them!

What's the answer to growing crime in our county? Bigger and better minds than mine have been struggling with this one for years. I think it's important for a community to be aware of the facts, then to band together to do everything possible to support law enforcement and look for other ways to help minimize occurrences like the one in the news release below.

Yes, we're growing and changing, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't focus on the best and fight the worst! - JMD, Editor Fayette Front Page / Georgia Front Page

Here's the story that sparked my diatribe :

On October 21, 2008 at approximately 5:30 a.m., officers were dispatched to
the McDonalds Restaurant located at 709 Crossings East in the Peachtree Crossing
Shopping Center. According to the police report, upon arriving for work
the restaurant’s employees discovered that a large rock had been thrown through
a window on the east side of the building. When Peachtree City Police
Officer’s arrived on scene it was determined that the restaurant had been
burglarized and that three Ronald McDonald charity boxes had been taken during
the burglary. Detectives from the Police Department’s Criminal
Investigation Division responded to the location to process the scene for
evidence. The case is still under investigation at this time.

If anyone has information that would assist the Police
Department in this or other incidents, please contact the Peachtree City Police
Department’s Criminal Investigations Division at 770-631-2510 or the Crime and
Narcotics Information Hotline, (770) 487-6010. You may remain
anonymous.

Signs of Growth

I'm sure this isn't news to anyone in the county, but changes are happening. There's all kinds of growth... new stores, ground being cleared, strip malls, and maybe a few houses here and there.

There seems to also be a proliferation of signs sprouting up.

Don't know about you, but I think the "GOT JUNK" signs are the worst offenders. They're junky. They stick 'em everywhere. And they're illegal in many, if not most, instances.

A few times I've traveled down Hwy. 92 going toward Christian City. Tons of signs advertising a new subdivision litter the edges of the road.

I've started paying attention to the signs. To my way of thinking, if a company can't follow the local rules then I'm not interested in doing business with them.

My understanding is that pretty much nothing will be done about signs that violate the ordinances unless someone calls and complains. I think about it sometimes, but generally by the time I get home I'm not thinking about the signs I saw 15 minutes or 2 hours ago.

I think about writing the company sometimes, too. It's a standing joke in my family that we'll all threaten to write a nasty-gram but we never do. However, we do follow thought when we decide not to shop somewhere. I can't tell you how many years our family boycotted Rich's simply because they were the only company that refused to work with my grandmother when my grandfather was dying and it became difficult for her to make all her payments in full. Every other company graciously worked with her. Rich's not only refused, they harassed her to the point of tears. Nope, if Rich's were still around we'd still be sharing the bad news with friends and chipping away at their customer base one-by-one...

I digressed, changed the subject, got side-tracked (which I often do!).

Back to the growing number of signs...

Nah, enough on signs.