Investigating Problem Places: Increase in Crime, Decrease in Deputies

Monday, Dec. 11, 2017

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - It's home to hundreds of Augusta families but a growing problem for law enforcement. Assaults, shootings and domestic violence drastically increasing in area apartment complexes and housing units. These problem places are forming clusters of crime around town and monopolizing the time of a sheriff's office already understaffed.

Off of 520 on Wrightsboro Road sits more than a dozen apartment complexes. "Georgian Place Apartments, Fox Den. You have Heritage Circle," Richmond County Sheriff's Deputy Kurt Watts said. "All these folks jump back and forth. They cross the street from Georgian Place."

Deputy Watts is assigned to Zone 4 which is one of the most violent areas in Richmond County "I would say about half the calls we receive or respond to are apartment complexes."

Deputy Watts: "It was still dark about 6:30 in the morning and a guy came up with a shot gun and said line up and he was going to rob them but they don't speak any English so they didn't know what he was saying so they didn't move and i guess he got upset and he shot one guy twice once in each leg."

Liz Owens: "Did you catch the guy?"

Deputy Watts: "No, he had a mask and was last seen walking away."

Watts says that happened at Valley Park apartments formally called Georgian Place. "For whatever reason they boarded up some of these apartments and buildings. They get broken into the homeless sleep inside."

Valley Park is one of eight apartment complexes clustered together near Wrightsboro Road. "They're continuously having disturbances or calls," Deputy Watts said. On Your Side was there with Watts as he responded to one such call at Fox Den Apartments.

Deputy Watts: "Hey man what's going on?"

Resident: "Hey, nothing what's up?"

Deputy Watts: "Ya'll arguing? Having a fight?"

Resident: "No, ain't nobody having a fight."

Deputy Watts: "Yeah well I can hear you arguing."

Resident: "I'm just talking loud that's all. What's the problem."

Deputy Watts: "You okay ma'am?"

So far this year, Richmond County Sheriff's Office has responded more than than 1300 calls, from sexual assaults to home invasions and from theft to domestic violence. Domestic violence calls here have more than doubled since 2011. "When they put out a domestic call it can be nothing it can be anything or everything," Watts said.

He says often the violence here spills into the neighboring apartment complexes. "You see it backs up to Fox Den so you get them coming from there. We get calls someone will be shooting a gun and will be seen jumping over the fence at Fox Den."

Nathaniel Quarrels works and lives at nearby Heritage Apartments. He wears a gun strapped to his side at all times.

Deputy Watts: "You see? He carries."

Nathaniel Quarrels: "That's why I started carrying as soon as that happened."

LIz Owens: "You did?"

Nathaniel Quarrels: "Yeah. Ever since then an open carry because I stay out here too."

A cross in front of an apartment at Heritage marks the place where a young man died in a shooting a few weeks ago. Deputy Watts say the shooting was gang related.

Nathaniel Quarrels: "I have to live out here and you got to put up with this Like I said I got police on speed dial I call them all the time."

Liz Owens: "Is it the people who live here?"

Nathaniel Quarrels: "No it's the people coming from Fox Den and Georgian Place."

Liz Owens: "Why they coming here?"

Nathaniel Quarrels: "Selling drugs."

On Your Side dug into the numbers and discovered crime has nearly doubled since 2011 in eight apartment complexes in Zone 4. Assaults and sex assaults have increased by 275% in Zone 4 over the last six years. Weapons/firearms increased by nearly 30% and drugs by 35%. The Sheriff's Office says part of the increase in the numbers is because of officer initiated ability.

Outside of Zone 4, domestic violence calls have increased more than a 1000% at M&M Scott Apartments and at Dogwood Terrace there has been a more than 60% increase in weapons/firearms calls.

Deputy Watts: "It's not always about taking someone to jail."

Liz Owens: "Do you feel like you are making a difference?"

Deputy Watts: "Sometimes."

Liz Owens: "Does it get discouraging coming out here to the same calls over and over and over again?"

Deputy Watts: "It sure does."

It especially becomes when the Richmond County Sheriff's Office is down deputies. There are currently about 90 vacancies. Out of the eight zones in Richmond County, Zone 4 is short the most deputies, down about a third of it's staff. Part of the reason for the shortage, the Sheriff's Office says, is deputies leaving for higher paying jobs at neighboring agencies.

For months, Sheriff Richard Roundtree has been asking Richmond County commissioners for money. He asked for 2.4 million to help raise the pay for deputies but he compromised for 1.8 million.

"I have comion for these people and I want to help them out. I mean that's what I became a police officer," Deputy Watts said.

In November, the commission made the decision to take away funding for 30 positions at the Sheriff's Office and decreased the agency's operating budget by $900,000. Sheriff Roundtree plans to fill 50 positions next year and more the following year.