SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — According to a metro Atlanta police department, you can expect to see more officers out on the water this summer.
The department told Channel 2′s Michael Seiden they are cracking down on crime and chaos, connected to drownings on the Chattahoochee River.
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Channel 2′s Michael Seiden was the only reporter given access to the Sandy Springs specialized unit.
When it comes to drownings, the numbers are astounding. Officials told Channel 2 Action News since 2010, there have been more than 30 drownings in the Chattahoochee River.
But Sandy Springs police are hoping to prevent future tragedies. The department has revamped its specialized river unit.
“I think our biggest concern our biggest concern is people drowning and underestimating the current of the river,” said Sgt. Andrew Rausch.
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On Wednesday, Channel 2 Action News spent the day on the river with the city’s river patrol unit, a specialized unit that’s cracking down on crime and chaos connected to drownings.
“We’re trying to encourage people not to jump off dangerous cliffs not to be swimming at the time the dam is open. Water is at its highest and moving at it quickest be active on the water,” said Sgt. Matt McGinnis
Since 2010, there have been 33 drownings in the park recreation area with nearly half at a Cobb County area known as diving rock at Akers Mill.
Officials told Channel 2 Action News all but one of the 16 victims at Akers Mill were black men
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