DeKalb County dilapidated properties demolished to help fight crime

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - Dekalb County is working to demolish numerous abandoned properties which have been at the center of crimes.

Since the beginning of the year, there have been 60-crimes committed within a half a mile radius of this burned-out condominium building on Whitehall Forest Court. Some of those crimes include homicide, arson and aggravated assault.

Dekalb County CEO, Michael Thurmond, said eliminating blight is and has always been one of his top priorities.

“This is agenda item number one, to protect quality of life for our citizens,” Thurmond said. “Derelict properties are a magnet for crime and drug use, and all types of delinquent behaviors. So, when we can abolish or eliminate a property like this, we’re making this community safer for the residents who live here.”

One of the residents living near a rundown property is Hatty Thomas. She has lived on Whitehall Forest Court for more than a decade and said the clean-up is long overdue.

“I’ve just seen a lot, you know, people on drugs and they go into different abandoned units and stuff but since this happened today, by them tearing it down, they have to find somewhere else to go,” Thomas said.

During the past six years, DeKalb County has demolished or abated more than 600 properties in hopes of curbing crime and making DeKalb a safer place to live.

“If you’re one of those property owners who not taking your responsibility seriously, to upgrade or mitigate dilapidated properties, if you don’t take it down, we will and then we’re going to charge you for the work,” Thurmond said.

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