Is Smyrna’s $5.7M surveillance expansion a safety miracle or a privacy nightmare? (Issue #42)

Good morning Stewards,

Hope you had a wonderfully warm week with family and friends!

As 2025 draws to a close, we're breaking down the controversial $5.7 million Flock Safety expansion that makes Smyrna one of the most surveilled cities in Georgia.

In Today's Edition

• 🌦️ The Weather Report: Bracing for the New Year’s Cold Snap

• 🎥 Stewards Watch: Smyrna’s $5.7M "Safe City" Surveillance Shift

• 🏆 Hidden Gems: Why Smyrna is officially the #1 place in Georgia to retire

• 🗓️ Community Calendar: NYE at the Battery and "Bring One for the Chipper"

• 🛑 Holiday Schedule: Important 24-hour shifts in your trash pickup

— Your Voice for Local Prosperity

THE WEATHER REPORT
❄️ A Cold Snap to Close the Year

Bundle up, Stewards! That "sharp temperature drop" we warned you about has officially arrived. We’re trading last week's mild sun for crisp, freezing nights and bright, chilly days as we count down to the New Year.

• ☀️ Tue 30: Sunny and very cold. High 42°/Low 25°. Brisk northwest winds will make it feel even colder—keep the heavy coat handy.

• ☀️ Wed 31: Sunny for New Year’s Eve. High 53°/Low 34°. A chilly but dry night for the countdown—perfect for fireworks, just layer up!

• 🌤️ Thu 01: Sunny with a few afternoon clouds. High 62°/Low 37°. A beautiful, milder start to 2026.

• 🌧️ Fri 02: PM Showers. High 61°/Low 50°. Rain moves in during the afternoon (56% chance). Keep the umbrella nearby for evening plans.

• 🌦️ Sat 03: Steady rain early. High 59°/Low 37°. A damp start to the weekend (70% chance of rain), clearing up by the evening.

• ☁️ Sun 04: Considerably cloudy. High 57°/Low 38°. A quiet, grey day to reset before the first full work week of the year.

• 🌤️ Mon 05: Intervals of clouds and sunshine. High 63°/Low 46°. A gradual warming trend begins as we settle into January.

Steward’s Tip: The "Hard Freeze" Defense

With Tuesday and Wednesday nights dropping well into the 20s, it's time to protect your home and garden:

• Pipes: Drip your cold water faucets at a "pencil-thin" stream on Tuesday night. This relieves pressure and prevents bursts. Also, open cabinet doors under sinks to let warm air circulate.

Check the most up to date forecast here!

STEWARDS WATCH
🎥 Smyrna’s $5.7M "Safe City" Shift: Crime Prevention or Digital Border?

Smyrna is no longer just a customer of Flock Safety; as of April 2025, we are their national headquarters. With the opening of their 97,000-square-foot manufacturing hub right here in our backyard, the relationship between the city and the tech giant has fundamentally changed.

Last week, the City Council solidified this bond by unanimously approving a 10-year, $5.7 million "Safe City" contract. Here is what every Steward needs to know about the new "digital fence" being built around Smyrna.

🛡️ The New Infrastructure

This isn't just about license plates anymore. The new contract moves Smyrna into "Real-Time Intelligence":

• The 70-Camera Grid: A significant increase in Automated License Plate Readers (ALPR) creates a "virtual border" at nearly every major entry point to the city.

• Eyes in the Sky: Smyrna is debuting Drone as First Responder (DFR) technology. These drones launch from the station to 911 scenes in under 3 minutes—often filming before officers arrive.

• Vehicle Fingerprinting: The FlockOS system identifies cars by unique traits: roof racks, bumper stickers, and specific damage—making "hiding" much harder.

⚖️ The Steward’s Balance: Safety vs. Privacy

The Pro-Smyrna Case: City leadership and the Smyrna PD argue this is the future of policing. Nearby, Cobb County reported a 52% drop in robberies using similar tech. By hosting the factory (and its 210 jobs), Smyrna gets "home court" access to the newest crime-fighting tools before anyone else.

The Privacy Concern: Groups like the ACLU warn of "mission creep." Because the system logs every car, not just those involved in crimes, it creates a 30-day record of where law-abiding residents go.

There are also looming questions about security vulnerabilities that were identified in similar systems late last year.

💡 Steward’s Action Tip: Check the Map

If you want to know exactly where you are being "seen," you don't have to guess. The community-led project DeFlock.me maintains a crowdsourced map of camera locations.

HIDDEN GEMS
🏆 Smyrna Ranks #1 in Georgia for Retirement (and #87 Nationally)

Outstanding news for Stewards: Smyrna has been named the best city in Georgia to retire, according to U.S. News & World Report's 2025 retirement rankings. Out of hundreds of cities evaluated nationwide, Smyrna landed at #87 nationally—the highest ranking for any Georgia city.

Why Smyrna Topped the State:

U.S. News evaluated cities across five key categories: quality of life, value, desirability, job market, and net migration. Smyrna's winning combination includes:

• Higher Value of Living: U.S. News noted that "Smyrna offers a higher value of living compared to similarly sized cities."

• Strong Economy: With a median household income of $102,769 and an unemployment rate of just 2.57%, the local economy is robust.

• Convenient Location: Access to Atlanta's metro amenities while maintaining a suburban feel, with an average commute of 28 minutes.

• Quality Housing Market: Median home value of $448,703 and median monthly rent of $1,636.

How Other Metro Cities Ranked:

Smyrna wasn't alone in the top rankings. Several neighboring cities also made the Georgia top 10:

• #2 Johns Creek (No. 112 nationally)

• #7 Alpharetta (No. 220 nationally)

• #8 Roswell (No. 223 nationally)

• #9 Marietta (No. 229 nationally)

The entire Cobb County corridor is clearly a retirement powerhouse.

What This Means for Current Stewards:

Whether you're already retired, approaching retirement, or planning decades ahead, this ranking validates what many of us already know: Smyrna-Vinings offers an exceptional quality of life. The combination of:

• Proximity to world-class healthcare (Wellstar, Emory)

• Cultural amenities (The Battery, local restaurants, museums)

• Active community programs (Run Smyrna, Silent Book Club, concerts)

• Tax-friendly environment (Georgia doesn't tax Social Security)

• Strong local economy with part-time work opportunities

...makes this an ideal place to age in place.

COMMUNITY CALENDAR
🗓️ Don’t Let the Cold Snap Keep You On the Couch

The best way to beat the "winter blues" is to get moving with the people who make Smyrna-Vinings great.

Whether you’re looking to crush a New Year’s goal, win some local bragging rights at trivia, or just stay informed on how our city is growing, there is a spot for you this week.

Pick one event below and commit to showing up—we’ll see you there!

• 🧠 Team Trivia | 8:00 PM, Dec 30 & Jan 1 @ Varners Tavern

• 🎶 Soundcheck Music Bingo | 8:00 PM, Dec 31 @ Varners Tavern

• 🎆 New Year’s Eve Bash | 6:00 PM–Midnight, Dec 31 @ The Battery Atlanta

• 🌲 Tree Recycling | 10:00 AM–2:00 PM, Jan 3 @ Home Depot (Cumberland Pkwy)

• ⚾ Spartan Baseball Tree Pickup (Donation) | Jan 3–4 @ Your Curb (Register by Jan 2)

• 🧱 Babies Block Party | 10:30 AM, Jan 5 @ Smyrna Public Library

• 👟 Run Smyrna | 6:30 PM, Jan 5 @ Stout Brothers

🛑 HOLIDAY SCHEDULE CHANGES

The City of Smyrna will observe the New Year’s holiday on Thursday, Jan 1. Please note the following adjustments to city services:

• 🗑️ Sanitation & Recycling: There will be no yard waste or large item pick-up this week. Curbside collection is moving to an "Early Shift" schedule:

• 🏛️ City Hall Closures: Smyrna City Hall and administrative offices will be closed on Thursday, Jan 1. Public Safety (Police and Fire) will remain fully operational.

• ♻️ Recycling Center: The Smyrna Recycling Center on Lake Drive will be closed on Thursday, Jan 1, but will be open for normal hours on Wednesday (10 AM–6 PM) and Friday (8 AM–4 PM).

• 📚 Library & Museum: Both the Smyrna Public Library and the Smyrna History Museum will be closed on Jan 1. The library will resume normal hours on Friday, Jan 2.

👋 See You Next Tuesday

📬 Ready to dig deeper? : Sign up for the scoop on Smyrna-Vinings delivered right to your inbox every Tuesday @ 8 AM

— Ravi & Rinnah Patel

P.S. As we move into the "Digital Fence" era of Smyrna, we want to hear from you. Does the $5.7M Flock expansion make you feel safer, or are you concerned about the privacy trade-off? Reply to this email and let us know your thoughts!