(Lilburn, Georgia)  It’s no secret that law enforcement agencies need the public’s help in solving crimes and capturing the bad guys.  Here at GCPD, we publish surveillance photos on Twitter hoping that someone will recognize the suspects.  And, our residents call 911 when something just doesn’t seem right.  This is exactly what happened on September 20 in unincorporated Lilburn. 

The call came into the 911 Center shortly after 2pm.  A concerned resident saw something unusual at her neighbor’s house on Garner Creek Drive.  She saw the basement door open, splintered pieces of wood on the ground, and heard some loud noises.  An unfamiliar minivan was parked in the driveway.  She called her neighbor and confirmed that he was at work and the people inside his home were not supposed to be there. 

As officers arrived at the home, two people ran out the door.  The officers gave chase and quickly captured one of the burglars.  As one of the officers was walking back toward the home, he found a loaded handgun in the grass.  The officer determined that the gun was stolen and removed a bullet from the chamber. 

The Gwinnett County Police Department helicopter and K9 units were called in to help find the second suspect.  As officers, we do the best we can with the tools we have to locate and capture suspects.  But, what happened next surprised the officers.  The 911 Center received no less than 6 calls from nearby residents.  They told the call-takers that they could see the suspect on or near their properties.  The officers were getting play-by-play information about where the suspect was running.  And to no surprise, the second burglar was quickly taken into custody a few streets away. 

When all was said and done, two burglars were arrested, a stolen gun was removed from the streets, and a stolen vehicle was recovered.  We don’t take our community support for granted.  We need our residents, motorists, business owners, and visitors as much as they need us.  The people of Gwinnett County are vital to our success as their law enforcement agency.  This is a great case illustrating, “If you see something, say something.”