David Wardell

Vice President, Operations and Public Safety @Downtown Atlanta Inc

Atlanta, GA, US

Responsible for the public safety, cleanliness and quality of life concerns of the Downtown Improvement District’s 220 blocks and daily constituency. He coordinates and conducts liaison between the 11 jurisdictional law enforcement agencies and emergency services organizations contained within the Downtown Improvement District, as well as the major government entities. David is principally responsible for monitoring crime control measures and security consulting on a comprehensive and inclusive level to the Downtown area, addressing homeland security, emergency preparedness and response, business continuity, and large special event support and security. David serves as a primary liaison in public-private partnerships for the Downtown constituency with the city, county and state governments in the areas of public safety and public space maintenance. He is directly responsible for the Ambassador Force, a public safety force that supports the Downtown community, as well as the convention and tourist constituency. The program also includes additional off-duty Atlanta Police in mobile patrols, on Segways and bikes on a 24/7 basis, as well as partnering with the Atlanta Police by monitoring the Downtown Surveillance Cameras. Additionally, David’s other primary responsibilities include Public Space Maintenance and Cleanliness operations (20 personnel) in the Downtown Improvement District. The Clean Team serves as the environmental public safety component of the program, exemplifying the “Fixing Broken Windows” concept. Public space maintenance also includes maintenance of flowers and landscaping managed by the ADID; monitoring, reporting and possibly repairing streetscape and sidewalk disruptions; monitoring and reporting inoperable traffic signals and street lights; and monitoring and reporting general code compliance issues within the ADID. His other responsibilities include the revitalization and daily operations of Woodruff Park.