Responding to a directive for Savannah-Chatham police officers to address any neighborhood issues in their areas of responsibility, Southside Precinct Commander Capt. Dean Fagerstrom took it upon himself to remove tennis shoes from utility lines.
Fagerstrom borrowed a bucket truck from the department and used it to remove several pair of tennis shoes strung up on lines near Montgomery Crossroad on Tuesday, said Julian Miller, police spokesman.
Traditionally, Miller said, the tennis shoes are a symbol of drug sales in the area, and present a quality of life issue.
“We grew tired of waiting on someone else to solve the problem,” Fagerstrom said in a prepared statement. “It was a blight issue that concerned neighbors and they asked us to address it. Our crime prevention officer asked several entities with equipment to remove them and found it more expedient to do it ourselves.”
Miller said any shoes that appeared useful were donated to a local charity.
Animal Control to close today, reopen Thursday
The Savannah-Chatham police-run Animal Control Center will be closed today as staff upgrades computer programs.
The shelter will reopen at its normal time on Thursday at noon for rescue organizations and 1 p.m. for the public, said Julian Miller, police spokesman.
The upgrades to the new Chameleon Software, Miller said, will enhance the shelter’s efficiency by streamlining and organizing case information, documentation, billing and reports. It will also analyze service calls.
Shamrock Run to affect downtown traffic
Traffic downtown will be affected Friday when roads close for the Shamrock Run, Savannah-Chatham police announced Monday.
The run starts at 6 p.m. Friday. At 5 p.m., roads at the starting line near Ellis Square will be closed. Police will close roads along the route as needed.
The race starts at Congress and Jefferson streets, goes south on Jefferson Street to York Street, east on York to Bull Street, south on Bull to Gaston Street, west on Gaston to Whitaker Street, south on Whitaker to Park Avenue, east on Park to Drayton Street, north on Drayton to Gaston, west on Gaston back to Bull, north on Bull to Congress Street, east on Congress to Drayton, north on Drayton to Bryan Street, west on Bryan to Bull, south on Bull to Congress, then west on Congress to the finish line on Barnard Street.
Roads will reopen to vehicle traffic as runners pass.
Compiled by Corey Dickstein
