Sandy Springs, GA Public Conduct: Loitering Rules (2026)

" Subsection (b) lists factors an officer may weigh in deciding whether that alarm is warranted, specifically flight at the sight of a law enforcement officer, a refusal to identify oneself, and manifestly trying to conceal oneself or an object. The same subsection builds in a due-process safeguard adopted by Ord. No. 2008-04-12 on April 1, 2008: unless flight or other circumstances make it impracticable, an officer must, before making any arrest under this section, give the person a chance to dispel the alarm by asking them to identify themselves and explain their presence and conduct.

If the officer skips that step, or if the explanation given at trial was true and would have dispelled the concern, the statute bars a conviction outright. Because § 38-63 sets no penalty of its own, a conviction falls under the Code's general penalty in § 1-10(c): up to a $1,000 fine, six months in jail, up to 30 days of confinement at labor, or a combination. Enforcement is handled by the Sandy Springs Police Department, which must document the specific alarm-warranting circumstances and the identification request in any loitering and prowling case referred to the municipal court.