Mother, son demand quicker police response times in South Fulton

SOUTH FULTON, Ga. — South Fulton Police Department is researching a mother and son’s claim that it takes officers too long to respond to their calls for help at work.

The pair work at a gas station on Cedar Grove Road.

The mother, Maria Blumgart, said she understands the job can leave you vulnerable to crime, but she would like to rely on the police to respond quickly if needed.

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“People that pay our taxes, and we do what we need to do, they don’t care about us,” said Blumgart.

Her son, Steven Burke, said, “I don’t think me or my family would ever feel safe in South Fulton.”

He said it took South Fulton Police Department an hour and a half to respond to his call to report a suspicious person at his work on Easter Sunday.

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Last week, he reported a shoplifting in progress, but no officer responded.

On Feb. 13, Burke said someone broke into his car near Fulton Industrial Boulevard and I-20.

“It took police seven hours to respond to me. APD responded within four hours, and it wasn’t even their jurisdiction,” said Burke.

Channel 2 Action News requested a copy of calls for service and response times in these cases.

We also asked if a staffing shortage is causing any delays or if the calls for service could fall under low-priority categories.

“If it is staffing issues, they need to make it to where people are going to work,” said Burke.

Officers are digging deeper to confirm the accusations and respond with answers.

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