Police zoom in on Athens high-crime area

By Joe Johnson

The police department has lately been making more arrests with the assistance of surveillance cameras.

A recent incident report shows how the cameras are being used by police to identify crime as it is happening and swiftly move in to make arrests.

Late in the night of September 19th officers were monitoring surveillance cameras at Triangle Plaza in an area of east Athens known as The Block.

As is typical for a Friday night there was a large group of people who were socializing.

The officers recognized a pair of teenagers who they knew to be members of the Sex Money Murder street gang.

They watched as the teens rolled apparent marijuana blunts, and then one of them pulled a gun from his waistband and waved it around. The weapon was outfitted with a mounted light and an extended ammunition magazine.

He walked around showing the gun to people, and he also flashed gang hand signs.

The teen was illegally in possession of the firearm because state law forbids anyone under 21 from possessing handguns.

A decision to make arrests was made, but not in the plaza’s parking lot because of the large crowd there.

A marked police car made its presence known to coax people into leaving, and a car occupied by the armed teenager was stopped as it was being driven on the street nearby.

Burning marijuana was smelled coming from the car, giving officers probable cause to search it.

Police said they found marijuana and two loaded guns, including the pistol with the mounted light and extended magazine, which turned out to have been reported as stolen in Franklin County.

Mekhi Zareco Williams, 17, was charged with illegal possession of a firearm, possession of marijuana, and theft by receiving stolen property.

Brandon Antonio Bailey, 17, was charged with illegal possession of a firearm and possession of marijuana.

Police monitor high crime areas from their Real Time Crime Center