Happy Birthday Old Fourth Ward Patrol

Dear Editor:

A small group of residents in the Fourth Ward Alliance area began investigating the potential for starting a privately funded public safety organization in 2009. As the group met with other neighborhood public safety organizations to learn about how they got started and how they managed their efforts, the group became increasingly confident that such an organization was needed in the Old Fourth Ward and that it was feasible to do.

Old Fourth Ward residents Kip Rupp and Dana Brownlee continued to move forward with the effort and started the Old Fourth Ward Patrol in early 2011. Peggy Denby, Don Jones and Seargent Cooper with the Midtown Ponce Security Alliance were extremely helpful to the O4WP in getting started and were the ones that introduced Kip and Dana to Lt. Isom, who runs the O4WP patrol and public safety efforts. The O4WP launched patrol operations one year ago today — May 1st — with its southern patrol boundaries stopping at Irwin Street. Due to strong interest from Old Fourth Ward residents south of Irwin Street, the patrol has since been expanded south down to Auburn.
 
We're excited to have such a successful first year and appreciate all of the support we've received from O4W neighborhood groups and residents, our members, our sponsors, other neighborhood public safety patrols, the Atlanta Police Department and elected officials. We look forward to many years of continued success.

— Herman W. Hudson, president, Old Fourth Ward Patrol and board member of Fourth Ward Neighbors.