DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — People attending a popular festival at Stone Mountain Park say the park needs more police, not fewer.
The DeKalb Fraternal Order of Police says the Stone Mountain Park Police Department has gone from a full-time force of 18 officers to eight officers.
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The union says that’s not enough to handle large events like the Yellow Daisy Festival.
Festivalgoers enjoyed shrimp and chicken at the Yellow Daisy Festival at Stone Mountain Park.
Workers iced drinks to keep people cool in the hot summer sun.
But there were not many park police officers protecting the crowd, and that concerned some festivalgoers.
“We definitely need police officers,” Lisa Turner said.
“We need law around here. We need protection,” another festivalgoer said.
They made those comments after learning that the union representing Stone Mountain Park police is concerned the group that runs the park could be trying to disband the department.
People attending the festival opposed that idea.
“We need a police department. This park has always been good to the community, and we need to make sure we’re protected while we are here,” Turner said.
The Fraternal Order of Police says the park’s police force has dwindled from 18 full-time officers to eight.
The union said three more officers could be leaving.
The union president is pointing a finger at the Stone Mountain Memorial Association, which operates the park.
Two officers were seen patrolling the festival on foot. The union is concerned that is not enough for the massive crowds at the festival.
Some festivalgoers felt the same way.
“Like 80,000 people come to this festival, something like that. So, you definitely need more police presence, for sure,” one festivalgoer said.
She said she did not want to see the police department go away.
“I would definitely consider whether I would come or not if they got rid of all the police,” she said.
The Stone Mountain Memorial Association was contacted for comment but did not respond.
The police department referred questions to the union president.
The union president said he sent a letter to the governor asking him to intervene.
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