By Rhonda Barnett, The GSU Signal (Georgia State Univ.)
Georgia State University students continue to feel safe under the watch of the Georgia State Police after recent police impersonations in metro Atlanta.
“The Georgia State police are usually parked by or in all parking lots,” Khadiyah Lewis, a senior, says. Her class ends at about 7 p.m., and she says she feels safe after dark around Georgia State. “Nothing has happened to me thus far, but I am not naïve. I know it’s very possible. I walk straight to my car and I’m always aware of my surroundings.”
Steven Street, a senior marketing major, takes a 15-minute walk from Aderhold after his class ends at 9:45 p.m. “If I were a woman I would be concerned.” Street says that the recent police impersonations have not affected him. He feels that downtown is safe and well lit. However, Street’s biggest concern for women is the aggressive “bums.”
Georgia State police officials stated that the crime prevention unit gives presentations on how to remain safe on campus. If something is going to be a hazard, they will post flyers on- the buildings and windows.According to officials there has no been any incidents with police impersonations at Georgia State.
The Cobb County police are searching for a man with a white car and a blue light on the dashboard that pulled over a woman and asked her for a kiss Christmas morning, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The man pulled over the same woman on Feb. 2.
In Gwinnett County, a man pretended to be an officer; he stopped a man and robbed him of $400. He patted the man down and hit him with some kind of weapon. The man drove a white Chevrolet Impala with blue lights on it, said Cpl. Dan Huggins.
Douglas county deputies arrested a man after he was caught with his siren blaring and blue lights flashing. He told police that he installed the equipment for an adrenaline rush.
Last month, a man was charged with impersonating an officer and false imprisonment concerning two incidents that occurred in Cherokee County.
State law mandates that all patrol cars be clearly marked, according to the AJC. “If a motorist is asked to pull over in a rural or poorly lit area, it is OK to drive a short distance to an area with better lighting,” said Gwinnett police Cpl. Dan Huggins. “You can turn the interior dome light on, turn on your hazard lights to acknowledge the officer behind you, slow down and pull up at a gas station or a populated area.”
Also, the driver can call 911 to find out from the dispatch if he or she is legitimately getting pulled over by a real officer.
The Georgia State Police Department is located at 15 Edgewood about a half a block from Park Place and across from Woodruff Park. Officers are on duty 24 hours a day.