Athens-Clarke County will add a pedestrian crossing on North Thomas Street near The Classic Center following two car accidents that resulted in fatalities, Mayor Kelly Girtz said Sept. 23 in a news conference.
This project will make the city safer for pedestrians and drivers, Girtz said, while discussing public safety at City Hall. It is one of many preventative measures that he supports to reduce crimes such as driving under the influence, drug and narcotic violations, motor vehicle theft and aggravated assault.
Overall crime in Athens-Clarke County is down 10% so far this year, according to the Athens-Clarke County Police Department Transparency Hub, but there have been increases in specific crimes, including drug and narcotic violations and driving under the influence violations.
“When we talk about public safety, prevention is worth a lot more than the cure,” Girtz said.
Two separate incidents with cars on North Thomas Street killed Guy Jones, 78, of Woodstock, Georgia, on Jan. 17 and Jennifer McKillip, 38, of Athens, on July 13. Jones was walking and McKillip was riding a motorcycle.
The Vision Zero Action Plan has been allotted over $15 million to address traffic fatalities and serious injuries in Athens-Clarke County over the next three years. Girtz said traffic management on North Thomas Street is the start of these improvements.
Girtz also said the intersection between Oglethorpe and Hawthorne avenues will be redesigned over the next year. He said this change is necessary because evaluations found this intersection to be the site of multiple dangerous car accidents.
“Public safety is also making sure that people have their basic human needs met,” he said.
Girtz said Athens-Clarke County is working to decrease crime rates through preventative measures such as increasing access to health care, affordable housing and paths to high-wage employment. These initiatives are supported by programs like the Neighborhood Leaders Program.
The Neighborhood Leaders Program has provided assistance to residents since 2020 in order to decrease wealth inequality in the county. The program has provided fresh produce and healthy food to over 17,000 households and assisted almost 200 individuals with finding employment during the 2025 fiscal year.
The Athens-Clarke County Police Department plays a large part in public safety as well. The year 2024 was the first in over 20 years where all 243 of the certified police officer positions were filled, Girtz said.
Athens-Clarke County police officers are required to complete six months of post-certification, in-house training. Emphasis is also placed on strong crisis intervention skills, Girtz said.
We want to make sure that people are well versed in engaging with every member of the public, rich or poor, Black or white, young or old,” Girtz said.
The ACCPD also houses the Real Time Crime Center, which uses public and registered private cameras to monitor the county and swiftly deal with crimes when they occur.
Maura Potvin is a journalism major in the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Georgia.
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