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According to Mayor Ronnie Williams, it is going to take everyone to resolve the issue. Williams agreed to ask the police department to increase their presence in the area for the first two weeks of the school year. According to Williams, this solved the issue at the time, but the police did not continue their presence because of manpower and availability.
“Garner police can’t stay stationary. Every officer has a beat,” Mayor Williams said.

This fact led others to think of a different option.

“At the second meeting the management firm showed up and suggested hiring private security,” Williams said. The cost would be included in the tenants’ rent, but according to Williams, the tenants do not want the rent raised. Hiring Garner police would also warrant an increase in funds.
“It’s an expensive proposition to pay officers overtime to stay over there,” Moss said.

According to Holton, a better barrier is needed.

“A brick wall would be wonderful. It would stop 99 percent of this,” he said. Holton said it is hard to get restaurant owners to attend the meetings because they do not want a barrier to be built. “The kids can eat at their establishments,” he said.

In the meantime, concerned residents want action. “If the shopping center would step up and make somebody patrol around there, it would stop right away,” the mother said.