Lasseter's in the Loop

Memorial Day

There are a number of Memorial Day ceremonies planned for our area. The City of Suwanee will kick things off with a patriotic concert performed by the Gwinnett Community Band and a Silver Wings parachute demonstration team on Friday, May 27. The show starts at 7 p.m. at Town Center Park.

American Legion Post 251 will honor Purple Heart recipients starting at 6 p.m. on Saturday, May 28, on Duluth’s Town Green. The program will feature a motorcycle salute by the American Legion Riders.

Dacula holds its 18th Annual Memorial Day Parade on Dacula Road starting at 10 a.m. on Monday, May 30.

And the county’s observance will be on Monday, May 30, at the Fallen Heroes Memorial on the grounds of the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center starting at 1 p.m. Keynote speaker is Maj. Gen. Maria Britt, commanding general of the 11,000 members of the Georgia Army National Guard. Sadly, we will be inducting a fallen hero into the memorial: Marine Lance Cpl. Joseph “Ryan” Giese.

Police Reports

If you have ever needed a police report for your insurance company after being involved in an accident or crime, I’ve got good news for you. Gwinnett Police have two new online systems that make the processes of reporting a crime and getting a police report much easier.

Gwinnett residents can get vehicle collision reports 24/7 at www.buycrash.com. You can also still get copies in person at Gwinnett Police headquarters, 770 Hi-Hope Road in Lawrenceville, but they are no longer available at precinct stations.

Now you can also report six different crimes online and get a temporary police report without waiting for an officer to respond. Your report will be handled and investigated as if an officer had filed it. After police review and approval, you’ll get an e-mail with a free copy of the report attached. You will need to turn off any pop-up blocking software on your computer before filing a report. And remember, filing a false report is a crime. This on-line crime-reporting system is not available within city police jurisdictions.

It can only be used to report crimes where there are no known suspects or vehicles, no physical evidence to collect or process, no theft or loss of a firearm or foreign identity papers. The six reportable crimes are Theft by Taking, Entering Auto, Identity Fraud, Criminal Trespass, Criminal Damage, and Theft or Lost or Mislaid Property. Reportable incidents must have occurred within Gwinnett except for identity fraud.   

The Gwinnett County Police Department is the only agency in Georgia using this online reporting system. To access the program, go to www.gwinnettcounty.com. Visit the Police Department's webpage and select Citizens Online Police Reporting System. To report other incidents or if you want an officer to respond, please call the non-emergency number: 770-513-5100. For emergencies, of course, call 911.

Burn Ban

We are entering summer smog season when the air we breathe can be unhealthy. Outdoor fires produce pollutants and smog-forming ozone, so burning of leaves, tree limbs and yard waste outdoors is illegal from May 1 to Sept. 30 in 54 Georgia counties including Gwinnett. Properly permitted bonfires are okay. More information is available at www.gwinnettfiremarshal.com or call Gwinnett Fire’s Community Risk Reduction Division at 678-518-4980.

Budget deficit eliminated

I am glad to report that your county government has eliminated an $18-million dollar budget deficit and has also avoided the additional planned use of about $15 million from reserve funds in this year’s budget. However, the next few years will still see a very tight budget.

E-mail Newsletters

Your county government wants to keep you informed about what's happening in your community, such as the residential recycling program, transportation construction projects, and TVGwinnett programming. Find out what is going on each week through e-mail newsletters that contain information that is important to homeowners and residents. To receive this information directly, create your e-mail newsletter profile at www.gwinnettcounty.com. I will try to keep you informed as best I can through The Patch but the newsletter is just another avenue for you to use.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me at 770-822-7000 or shirley.lasseter@gwinnettcounty.com if there’s anything I can do for you.

Shirley Lasseter

District 1 Gwinnett County Commissioner