DeKalb County, GA — DeKalb County Chief Executive Officer Michael Thurmond issued an executive order on Friday, March 24, that closes and restricts access to Intrenchment Creek Park and other county-owned properties in the area.

Intrenchment Creek Park is close to a proposed public safety training center in DeKalb County, called “Cop City” by activists.

The order closes the area to the community, residents and visitors, “given the recent and ongoing criminal activities occurring on or near the Properties, including, but not limited to, the installation of hidden traps or other devices designed to injure, maim, or cause the death of adults, children, and pets,” according to a press release.

The land is central to a controversial deal the county made with a private company. DeKalb traded Intrenchment Creek Park for a nearby area in 2021, WABE reported.

Here are photos of objects found at the site. Most of them are boards with nails sticking out of them:

Thurmond issued the executive order on Friday to warn the community of the dangerous and possibly life-threatening conditions to adults, children and pets in the Intrenchment Creek area.

The following properties will be closed until further notice:

– 2055 Bouldercrest Road

– 2058 Bouldercrest Road

– 2098 Bouldercrest Road

– 2109 Bouldercrest Road (Intrenchment Creek Park)

– 2142 Bouldercrest Road

– 2156 Bouldercrest Road

“DeKalb County personnel attempting to perform necessary functions on the properties including customary and on-going safety inspections, upkeep, repair, trash removal, maintenance, renovation and construction have been attacked on multiple occasions in recent months by individuals throwing rocks and other objects and creating other dangerous conditions, such that county personnel have been unable to complete these necessary functions,” according to the executive order.

The executive order further states that this “this temporary closure until further notice is necessary to protect the safety of the families, residents and visitors and their pets in the area and the county personnel who need access to the properties for the purposes of upkeep, inspection, repair, trash removal, maintenance, renovation and construction.”

While the executive order is in effect, unauthorized individuals entering the properties will be subject to prosecution for criminal trespass, any owner of an unauthorized vehicle parked at any of the properties will be towed and impounded, and anyone caught moving, removing or defacing signs posted by the county on the properties will also be subject to prosecution, the press release states.

The entrances and exits of each property will be closed, and DeKalb County will post official signs prohibiting public access to and parking on the properties.

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