Don't Move To Cobb County (Roswell, Kennesaw: apartment complexes, houses, high school)

[neil0311]

Lived in Cobb now for almost a year, twice as long as the OP, with no issues. No interactions with the cops at all, except for being caught once at a speed trap flashing my high beams at oncoming traffic (a story itself which I beat in court).

I don't know you, but I do know myself and others I associate with, and it seems that if you're not doing anything illegal, suspicious, or otherwise attracting the cops, they have no reason to interact with you at all. If anyone is doing something illegal, or attracting suspicion, then I'm glad the cops take it seriously and investigate. There is no reason for them to be rude with people, unless they are given attitude and people are rude with them.

[Bulldawgfan]

Originally Posted by momof2kids

I am assuming you had a specific incident occur that has made you feel this way.

Ahh, yea, I sure did. Do not get me wrong, if I need a cop, it is nice to know that one is around. But what happened to me went way beyond that.
10 am, sitting on the couch watching TV, hear a POP POP. Look out the peep hole and see nothing. 30 minutes later get a knock on the door. Detectives. They said they have two eye witnesses to the event up stairs, I tell them I saw nothing. Fast forward to 7 pm. Still notice crime scene tape across my door, blocking my exit. Figure they forgot about it and opened my door. A lady was filming the crime scene, one flight up. I said I was getting ready to leave and she promptly told me if I stepped out I would be arrested on the spot. Thats 9 hours after the crime. 8 pm another detective knocks, says I cannot leave for at least another hour. Thats 11 hours after the crime. Remember, there were two eye witnesses of suspects fleeing the scene, many hours ago. The next day I get a visit from yet another detective. A follow up because I was, get this, harassing the investigating officers. I sat in my apartment for nine hours as quiet as a church mouse, tried to go shopping and that constitutes harassment. All said and done, this murder is, as far as I know, still unsolved. Over 11 hours of crime scene investigation... innocent residents stuck in their apartments and pretty much bullied by multiple cops, and no arrests. I totally agree with that one comment... we were all criminals in their eyes. And I was a harassing criminal because I had the gall to want to leave my apartment after 9 hours. Although that was my only experience with the local cops, my neighbors said that was nothing new and they witnessed other like events (except for the murder part). Not a lot of serving and protecting in my book.

[busterthebronco]

maybe you need to get your car fixed.

[atlantagreg30127]

Originally Posted by Bulldawgfan

You got this part right, any ways. Every one is a criminal, until proven innocent. You must be a cop.

No - I said that until the officers can figure out who the criminals are and the victims are for certain, everyone has to be considered a POTENTIAL criminal - NOT the same thing you are saying. This is the way that every police officer in North America is trained guy - it's not new.

And no - I'm not a cop, nor have I played one on TV.

As far as being stuck in an apartment for 11+ hours if a crime has happened upstairs.... If after a reasonable amount of time (less than that) you are being told to "stay indoors", then call the local police department and calmly ask what's going on. Explain that you live downstairs from an apparent crime and have been forced to stay indoors for hours. Ask for a supervisor and again, CALMLY explain what's going on. Most likey they'll contact the investigators and speed things up, but if not, you can always call the local media. If channel 2,5,11 and other hear that residents are being forced to stay in their homes for 11 hours you can bet that once the media news vans show up you'll be allowed out very quickly.

[hsbaseballmom]

This post is in response to the original...not the apartment/murder scene incident...I lived and worked in Kennesaw for several years. It was one of the safest towns to live in (in the US) when we moved there. The last few years have seen rapid growth in the area and with that the crime rate has gone up. Kennesaw doesn't get tagged with a lot of the crime that happens very locally because technically the local mall and surrounding strip malls are outside the city limits. Some of the more run down industrial and residential areas are also conveniently outside city limits. We lived in a nice new subdivision in the area and we were having a major problem with teenagers-some in gangs though I understand not all-coming on to the property from other neighborhoods and creating vandalism issues as well as issues with the kids who lived there.

As far as the police go, I would say that they are um...more vigilant than in other areas. You can consider that a good or a bad thing depending on your tendency to be a law abiding citizen. The speed in downtown Kennesaw is 25 miles an hour and they mean it when they say 'strictly enforced'! I will also say that you haven't lived until you've seen a jack-booted police officer with a shotgun over his shoulder directing traffic. Based on anecdotal evidence they also had a tendency to pull over vehicles in poor repair-it was rumored that this was because vehicles of this nature tended to belong to a certain section of the population who might or might not be visiting legally. On the other hand I had 2 occasions to call the police while I lived there (one break in-nothing missing and one suspected prowler across the street while the neighbors were on vacation) and they responded within 10 minutes. Can't beat that.

[atlantagreg30127]

Originally Posted by hsbaseballmom

As far as the police go, I would say that they are um...more vigilant than in other areas. You can consider that a good or a bad thing depending on your tendency to be a law abiding citizen. The speed in downtown Kennesaw is 25 miles an hour and they mean it when they say 'strictly enforced'! I will also say that you haven't lived until you've seen a jack-booted police officer with a shotgun over his shoulder directing traffic. Based on anecdotal evidence they also had a tendency to pull over vehicles in poor repair-it was rumored that this was because vehicles of this nature tended to belong to a certain section of the population who might or might not be visiting legally. On the other hand I had 2 occasions to call the police while I lived there (one break in-nothing missing and one suspected prowler across the street while the neighbors were on vacation) and they responded within 10 minutes. Can't beat that.

Very similar to our situation here in Powder Springs... minus the shotgun over the shoulder. LOL.

Downtown Powder Springs (only a few blocks long, mind you) has a speed limit of something like 20-25mph and it's very much enforced. Likewise on the two lane side roads they often set up speed traps to keep folks on the legal side of the speed limit.

You are correct in that run down cars are PERCEIVED at least, to belong to illegals, and will draw attention. Likewise, if you see a run down car with multiple people packed like sardines into it, that too, might get a pullover.

Same here with responses - most of the time when a home alarm or call comes in, we have police on the scene between 3-6 minutes, max. I'll put up with speed traps and keeping my car painted for that.

[pirate_lafitte]

I will give you my 0.02 about Kennesaw at least. I have been living here consistently for over a year and the place doesn't appear that safe anymore, especially around the areas north of Kennesaw State University. I was even mugged there. Alot of people in Cobb County voted against MARTA thinking it would keep out the crime. Well, that theory has failed and I'm living proof of it. It didn't take MARTA for those criminals to get to Kennesaw. They had a car. Cobb County in general is not transit friendly and if you don't have a car, well, good luck, especially in the summer. I walk everywhere and try to catch a ride whenever available, but honestly, I agree with the OP. Cobb County isn't that nice. Another thing that upsets me is that whenever I walk on the side of the road, I see litter all over the place. It is like no one cares. I have actually picked up that litter and put it where it belongs: in the trash.

[LovinDecatur]

C'mon, folks...it's an entire county, and a large urban one at that. Like all similar counties, it has its' good and its' bad. I can't buy into dismissing Cobb in its' entirety for any of the reasons cited here.
Even as negative as the comments on Clayton Co. are on the forum, it becomes a different place the further south you go.

[neil0311]

Originally Posted by hsbaseballmom

Based on anecdotal evidence they also had a tendency to pull over vehicles in poor repair

As it should be. There is no safety inspection in GA, and there are quite a few junker cars that would never pass inspection in other states. The only way we can get rid of noisy or unsafe cars from the road is for cops to pull people over and ticket them, especially if it's really bad.

I drove past a car the other day that had been in a wreck, and the bumper was hanging off the car and the windshield was cracked all over, etc. Given that GA already has an emissions inspection, I would have no problem with taking my car annually for a full and complete inspection as I used to do before I moved to GA.

[BIASGEORGIAN]

Atlantagreg30127

Finally someone this is here speaking honestly and not bias to their town or jobs. I agree with everythign that you said about the police, car safety - everything. I will comment by saying since we all seem to have concerns about the public transportation availabilty - let's do something about it. Go to your Aldermans' office and become a voice for your township. Volunteer and get your thoughts counted as laws.

It couldn't hurt could it?