Several members of Fairburn's historic district Neighborhood Watch group brought their concerns on local crime to the July 11 city council meeting. Chief Charles Long met with the group after they spoke to the council. Long and the group, along with Mayor Betty Hannah, will meet Sunday to discuss current concerns and begin developing a strategy to combat crime.

Pat Pallend and several of the one dozen neighborhood residents addressed the council. They referenced drug dealing, vandalism, property destruction that has become all too prevalent and all too real. Residents were deliberate in asking the council for action that would make a difference in the quality of life that they expect to see in Fairburn.

Barkley Russell, another resident of the historic district, said she supported her neighbors' efforts to resolve the issues of criminal activity in the area.

"I commend my neighbors for standing up. I know you'll pay attention to this," she told the council. "We need to pay attention to our downtown area."

Responding to the group, Hannah said the city takes the matter seriously.

"We don't want our citizens being harassed," Hannah said.

Often characteristic in the public meetings of many cities and counties where citizens surface concerns is the approach by officials to listen to concerns but offer little in return. Not being cast in that mold, Long sought out members of the group and met with them during the remainder of the meeting to hear their concerns and solicit their opinions on a course of action.

"I'm glad they are fired up and organized," Long said. "This helps get something done. The effort to fight crime is always a partnership between law enforcement and the citizens.

The Neighborhood Watch group is the second Fairburn area to stand up to crime in recent months. Two Meadow Glen subdivision residents stood up to the victimization they and their families had suffered. One offered testimony in city court against the teenage age male she said was involved. The defendant in the case, Larry "Marco" Elder, is currently serving six months in jail. The case involving the victimization of the other woman and her family is set to be heard in city court next week. Both women were adamant that they would not be intimidated or bullied and neither would back off from testifying.

The Neighborhood Watch group, Chief Long, other officers and Mayor Hannah will meet Sunday at Casablanca Restaurant at 5 p.m. The meeting will be a forum to discuss strategies for combating current crime-related activity in the historic district.

"I see this as a partnership and a business, and the citizens are the customers," said Long.