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16 | Public Safety
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New police commander to target crime hotspots with ‘zero tolerance’
BY JOHN RUCH
johnruch(a)reporternewspapers.net
The new commander of Buclchead’s Zone 2 Atlanta Police Department precinct got
a welcome at a Dec. 5 community meeting, where he said he’ll target crime spots with a
“zero tolerance” approach.
“Y’all are quickly becoming my favorite zone with all the welcome and support,” said
Maj. Andrew Senzer to a group of about 40 residents gathered at the Peachtree Road
United Methodist Church.
Senzer took command of the precinct in November following the retirement of for
mer commander Maj. Barry Shaw. The welcome meeting was organized by City Coun-
cilmembers J.P. Matzigkeit and Dustin Hillis.
“I was actually honored because I know how challenging Zone 2 can be,” Senzer said
of taking the command. Asked by an audience member what sort of challenges are in
volved, he said, “Well, traffic is one. It’s hard to get from point A to point B quickly.”
Originally from Long Island in New York State, Senzer came to Atlanta in 1995. He
said he and current Police Chief Erika Shields were in the police academy together. He
previously served on the department’s Red Dog unit, a controversial anti-drug squad
that was disbanded in 2011 following a raid on the Atlanta Eagle bar and allegations of
illegal strip searches, which did not involve Senzer. He then served on the SWAT team
for eight years.
Senzer said he liked the “camaraderie” and “culture” of the SWAT team, with a focus
on team communications rather than various watches and units operating in “silos.”
“I like to bring that everywhere I go,” he said.
That service also gave him some memories of some of Buclchead’s most notorious
violent crimes. He referenced the 1999 mass murder spree committed by Mark Barton,
and said that John “Rick” Sowa, an officer murdered by a domestic violence suspect in
1997, was a “a good friend of mine.”
“I like to be very proactive,” he said of his policing style. “I hated to be bored when I
was a [patrol] cop.”
Speaking after the meeting, he elaborated on the strategy he will bring to Zone 2. He
said he beats with beat officers to hear in detail about “hotspots” of crime, then works
with watch commanders on a “master zero-tolerance list” of places that will get extra
patrol attention between 911 calls. He calls it “just basic policing. I’m not reinventing
the wheel.”
“Zero tolerance,” he said, means strict attention on such activities as loitering out
side stores and “heavy traffic enforcement,” on the principle that most criminals live
elsewhere and are roaming around.
Questions from the audience addressed some common issues, including security
cameras, crime prevention and the level of beat patrols.
Tom Watson of the Peachtree Heights West Civic Association expressed concern
that, while crime is relatively low in his neighborhood, patrol cars are seen “less than
Santa Claus.”
“That’s an easy fix,” said Senzer, as patrols can be directed to drive by there more fre
quently. Each of the three “watches” or shifts has 11 beats, and the precinct can “pretty
much” fill every patrol car with current staffing levels, Senzer said.
Senzer promoted security cameras as a way to fight the car break-ins and thefts that
make up the majority of Zone 2’s crime, because they are committed by “transient crim
inals, for the most part.”
“Just speaking as a cop, when we’re able to review video and look at LPR - license
plate reader - hits, it becomes a game-changer for us,” he said. Asked by Gordon Certain
of the North Buckhead Civic Association about some of his board member’s privacy
concerns on cameras, Senzer said, “If you’re a responsible citizen doing the right thing,
you have nothing to worry about.”
Another solution to car-related crime, police frequently say, is on the prevention
side. Senzer gave some numbers reflecting that issue.
“Last week, we had 11 vehicles stolen,” he said. “Six of those had keys in the vehi
cle, two of which were left running.” Another two were stolen from valet parking. “In a
sense, we are giving some cars away,” he said.
JOHN RUCH
Senzer speaks with audience members after the Dec. 5 community meeting.
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