Dear residents,

From December 19, 2008 through January 4, 2009, Operation Zero-Tolerance – a statewide anti-drunk driving enforcement initiative – will be in effect in Johns Creek.

During this time, drivers who violate Georgia’s DUI (driving under the influence) laws will go to jail.

The JCPD has already noticed the results of our extra efforts to crackdown on driving under the influence prior to the start of the initiative. On October 8, the JCPD Traffic Safety Unit changed its schedules and started working nights to crack down on intoxicated driving. During October and November, the Traffic Safety Unit made 83 arrests; 61 of them were for driving under the influence offenses.

A DUI arrest can cost you over $10,000 in attorney fees and court costs. DUI penalties can be very serious. If you are driving under the influence and get involved in a wreck where someone gets hurt you could be sentenced up to 15 years in prison.

Please remember to be safe and responsible this Holiday season. If you choose to drink at Christmas parties or family gatherings, be sure to have a designated driver.

Have a safe and happy holiday from the Johns Creek Traffic Safety Unit.

Sgt. Ronnie Young
Community Oriented Policing Services

P.S.  If you received this copy from someone else, sign up here to get your own copy each month.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has designated December as National Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA):

• About three in every 10 Americans will be involved in an alcohol-related crash in their lives.
• In 2006, 13,470 people died in alcohol-impaired driving crashes, accounting for nearly one-third (32%) of all traffic-related deaths in the United States.
• In one year, over 1.4 million drivers were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or narcotics. This accounts for less than 1% of the 159 million self-reported episodes of alcohol–impaired driving among U.S. adults each year.
• Alcohol-related crashes in the United States cost about $51 billion a year.

Follow these tips from the NHTSA to stay safe:

• Plan ahead. Always designate a non-drinking driver before any holiday party or celebration begins.
• Take the keys. Do not let a friend drive if they are impaired.
• Be a helpful host. If you’re hosting a party this holiday season, remind your guests to plan ahead and designate their sober driver, always offer alcohol-free beverages, and make sure all of your guests leave with a sober driver.

Most criminals have a preconception of how the crime they intend to commit will go. They are always looking at people and sizing up their “victim potential.” The first things they think about are: 1.) Do you have what I want? 2.) Can I take it without getting caught or hurt? So ultimately it comes down to convincing a would-be thief, burglar -- or worse, a violent criminal -- they need to go somewhere else.

In 1981, a study was conducted by psychology students in New York City to see if victims were “attracting assault.” With hidden cameras, the students videotaped people walking on the streets of Manhattan. They showed the videos to a prison where 56 violent career offenders watched the videos individually and “picked out their victims”. There was a 95% correlation rate between the prisoners’ choices as they picked the same people again and again.

They said they chose their “victims”, not by age, gender or size, but by the way they walked, kept their heads down, avoided eye contact and remained unaware of their surroundings. The offenders didn't pick people who were alert to their surroundings, even small females.

• Be extra cautious about locking doors and windows when you leave the house, even for a few minutes
• When leaving home for an extended time, have a neighbor or family member watch your house and pick up your newspapers and mail.
• Indoor and outdoor lights should be on an automatic timer.
• Leave a radio or television on so the house looks and sounds occupied.
• Large displays of holiday gifts should not be visible through the windows and doors of your home.

Top 5 Johns Creek Intersections for Accidents:

1.  State Bridge and Medlock Bridge roads
2.  Medlock Bridge and Abbotts Bridge roads
3.  State Bridge and Kimball Bridge roads
4.  McGinnis Ferry Road and Technology Circle
5.  Old Alabama and Haynes Bridge roads

November car accidents: Medlock Bridge Road (21), Jones Bridge Road (20),
Abbotts Bridge Road (15), State Bridge Road (14) and Old Alabama Road (10).

November car break-ins: Medlock Bridge, Lifetime Fitness (3), Newtown Park (3), LA Fitness (2), Abbotts Mill, Laurelwood, St. Ives Country Club (2), Bridgestone Farms (3), Rivermont (4), Chelsea Ridge Apartments (4), Wellington (2), Highland Park (2), Vicarage, The Reserve, Sugar Mill (5), DoubleGate (4), The Enclave at Foxdale, Seven Oaks, The Gates, Cameron Forest, Chattahoochee Recreation Area/Jones Bridge Unit, Medlock Bridge businesses (5), Old Alabama Road businesses (1) and Jones Bridge Road businesses (1).

November burglaries: St. Ives Country Club, Abbotts Pond, Abbotts Station (2), The Reserve at Wellington, Camden River Apartments, Taylor Springs, Overlake Court, Jeffrey’s Sports Bar and Design Pets.

The Georgia Sex Offender Registry is always online for your review.