Macon-Bibb County sues apartments owners over shootings, gang activity, and hundreds of 911 calls
The county filed suit Feb. 16 in Bibb County Superior Court after the sheriff’s office flagged the Rocky Creek Road complex as an area of serious concern. The complaint seeks a court order to fix what the county calls a public nuisance.
MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT)- Macon-Bibb County filed suit Monday in Bibb County Superior Court against the owners of Autumn Trace Apartments, seeking a court order to fix what the county describes as a public nuisance at the Rocky Creek Road complex.
The complaint, filed February 16th, targets the property at 1745 Rocky Creek Road and asks the court to permanently restrain the nuisance the county says has existed and continues at the location.
The Bibb County Sheriff’s Office identified the apartments as an area of serious concern and asked the county in January for assistance, according to the county.
“The number and severity of shootings here is extremely concerning, and immediate action must be taken,” Mayor Lester Miller said. “Our community has said loud and clear that public safety is its top priority, and we have made it clear we will not tolerate businesses not taking appropriate measures to protect people.”
What the sheriff’s office found
Criminal activity cited in complaint
According to the Sheriff’s Office, the complex has seen substantial gang and drug activity over the past two years, including frequent shootings and violent crimes that have increased in frequency and severity in recent months.
Since 2024, hundreds of emergency 911 calls have been placed from the location. The complaint includes a summary of incidents that includes murder, kidnapping, shots fired into apartments, gunfights, theft, home invasions, and automotive break-ins. Shots fired into homes have resulted in injuries, including to children, the county says.
The volume of criminal activity led the Sheriff’s Office to increase regular patrols at and around the property, committing what the county describes as substantial public resources, undercover operations, and personnel time to the complex.
41NBC NEWS: PREVIOUS REPORTS ON INCIDENTS AT AUTUMN TRACE APARTMENTS:
- Fourth person arrested, charged with murder in Autumn Trace Apartments shooting death
- Three people injured in shooting at Autumn Trace apartments
- Macon teenager recovering from gunshot wound, investigation underway
- Man shot in Macon, didn’t check in at hospitals
What the county is asking property owners to do
Through the complaint, Macon-Bibb County has outlined a list of potential safety measures it says could reduce criminal activity at the property. The county describes them as proven measures that have worked elsewhere.
Among the measures: installing security cameras with sufficient resolution, audio capture and coverage to allow the Sheriff’s Office to identify participants in criminal activity, along with adequate lighting to make the cameras functional at night. The complaint also calls for live camera access to be provided to the Sheriff’s Office.
The county is also asking for access controls, including perimeter fencing and gated vehicle entry, to restrict access to residents, staff, and guests, as well as speed bumps in the parking lot to limit the ability of individuals to leave quickly after a theft or shooting.
On the management side, the complaint calls for strict enforcement of lease terms, including inspecting units and evicting residents who allow unregistered occupants. It also calls for a zero-tolerance policy for tenants whose household members or guests are found engaging in shootings, drug crimes, or gang activity on the property, as well as the option to buy out leases for problem tenants not otherwise subject to eviction.
Additional measures include random quarterly unit inspections, hiring off-duty law enforcement officers or licensed armed security guards to provide around-the-clock security, a nighttime curfew on outdoor group assembly by residents, and maintaining a registry of tenant-owned vehicles by license plate.
The county also asks property management to maintain a “do not rent” list to prevent problem residents or guests from returning even if management changes, to promptly repair units damaged by criminal activity, and to give residents meaningful ways to report dangerous or criminal activity to management.
“We are investing millions to improve public safety — from salary increases to new equipment to mental health services to the Blight Fight and more — and we must make sure we are addressing it at all levels,” Miller said.
The county is proceeding under Georgia’s public nuisance statute, which allows a superior court judge to order the abatement of any nuisance that poses an immediate annoyance to the public or is injurious to public health or safety.
