OFFICE OF THE CITY SOLICITOR FY 17 4

OFFICE OF THE CITY SOLICITOR FY 17 – 4 th Quarter Update Presentation to Public Safety and Legal Administration Committee July 25, 2017 Raines F. Carter, City Solicitor

Community Prosecution: Diversion and Community Outreach Updates– FY 17 Q 4 Update Ø Code Enforcement § As of June 30, 2017, the Disabled, Elderly and Veterans Program, (DEV) , has enrolled 28 participants: 12 completed the program; 15 pending; 1 withdrawn (medical). § Partnered with other city departments and City Councilmembers to host four (4) “Fight the Blight” Educational Symposiums. These symposiums are intended to empower the community and assist city departments to combat blight in the City. Ø Utilized technology to improve diversion enrollment processes. § Streamlined processing to leverage existing staff and improve enrollment processes. § Implemented an e-Payment option for diversion in May, 2017. § Implemented phase 1 of diversion e-Processing in May 2017, which gives defendants the ability to enroll in PTIT via the web. The final phase will be implemented the first week in August 2017. Ø Implemented community outreach initiatives. § PTIT website went online April 2017. The site informs citizens and visitors about the program and provides information on their options to resolve their cases. § In July 2017, Channel 26 began running a Public Service Announcement about the Pre-Trial Intervention for Traffic (PTIT) program. § In July 2017, diversion participants will be offered an in-house Safe Driving Education Course. This will provide greater opportunity for defendants to successfully meet their program requirements. § In August 2017, the Solicitor’s Office will kick-off our College Safe Driving and Awareness Tour. We will visit colleges to promote safe driving responsibilities to young drivers. Ø PTIT Participation and Revenue. § In FY 17, approx. 34, 455 cases were resolved through PTIT. This resulted in $5. 96 M+, which is approx. 6% over the projected revenue ($5. 6 M+). 2

Community Prosecution Initiative: Alcohol is NOT the only problem Americans are aware of the consequences of impaired driving. We are even more aware of the dangers of distracted driving. However, we are now faced with a rising increase in the misuse of prescription drugs, over-the-counter drugs, and illegal drugs. We must improve our effort to address their negative impact on public safety. § According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) National Roadside Survey, more than 16% of weekend nighttime drivers tested positive for illegal, prescription, or over-the-counter medications, (11% tested positive for illegal drugs). In 2009, 18% of fatally injured drivers tested positive for at least one drug, (illegal, prescription and/or over-the-counter). § According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, (NSDUH), men are more likely than women to drive under the influence of an illicit drug or alcohol. And, young adults aged 18 to 25 are more likely to drive after taking drugs than other age groups. § This problem is not limited to young adults. According to the Waismann Method, Advanced Treatment for Opiate Dependence, older people account for nearly one third of all prescriptions written in this country. Consequently, they are susceptible to addiction due to their efforts to achieve relief from their degenerative conditions and biological factors. 3

Community Prosecution: Proposed Driving Under the Influence (DUI-Drugs) Initiative (FY 18) ØCollaborate with law enforcement agencies to address concerns with the growing drug use in the community and its impact on public safety. § Identify needed training. Driving under the influence of drugs such as synthetic opiates (Percocet, Oxycontin, Lortab, etc. ) is not easily detectable. Consequently, officers may be reluctant to charge a driver with DUI-Drugs. Ø Identify resources to aid in training and treatment. Ø Partner with the Atlanta Police Department (APD), Governor’s Office of Highway Safety (GOHS), Georgia State Patrol (GSP), and other agencies to promote safe driving. ØEngage the community through education. 4