DeKalb police looking for new home for new precinct

DUNWOODY, Ga. — DeKalb County stands by its plans to relocate the North Police Precinct from Dunwoody to a plot of land next to PDK Airport, but admits those plans may have to change if Brookhaven residents vote to incorporate.

Currently, the North Police Precinct is located along Ashford-Dunwoody Road across from Perimeter Mall.

DeKalb wants to have the precinct in an unincorporated part of the county, so when Dunwoody incorporated, it began looking for places to move it. It found a plot of land between Clairmont Road, Young Street and Bragg Street next to PDK, and planned to use federal stimulus money to build it there.

However, the possibility of Brookhaven incorporation threw a wrench into those plans.

If Brookhaven votes to become a city in July, county officials expect the city of Chamblee will vote in November to annex the area where they plan to build the precinct. If that happens, the county will probably look for another place to locate that police precinct.

But until that happens, DeKalb's CEO Burrell Ellis said the county will continue with plans to build at the current site.

"If they vote to incorporate, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it," said Ellis. "We don't believe the outcome is going to incorporate that area. We intend to go forward with our plans to locate it on the southern end of PDK. They'll remain the same."

DeKalb Commissioner Jeff Rader, who represents that area, said it makes sense to move the precinct location should Brookhaven incorporate and Chamblee annex, but he added, if voters defeat the incorporation referendum, the precinct should be built next to PDK.

Some Brookhaven residents admitted the location of that precinct could influence their vote in July.

WSBTV