ATLANTA — The leader of a watchdog group says Atlanta’s mayor and his detail should abide by the same traffic rules as others.
After a Channel 2 Action News investigation, government watchdogs are filing ethics complaints against Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed for his use of blue lights and sirens.
Some say it's illegal and they're demanding a ruling from Georgia’s attorney general. They also want the Cobb County solicitor to investigate.
The Cobb solicitor told Channel 2’s Lori Geary his investigators are gathering documents and videos from a crash involving the mayor's security detail. He'll then determine what course of action, if any, should be taken.
Ethics watchdogs say this is a public safety issue and the mayor's actions need to stop.
“He's thumbing his nose at the public,” said William Perry, founder of Georgia Ethics Watchdogs.
Perry said the group has filed several complaints against Reed after our investigation found Reed and his security detail travel to non-emergency events using blue lights and sirens, which some say violates state law.
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Geary obtained Cobb County police video moments after a crash involving the mayor's security detail. The driver told investigators he had blue lights and sirens on.
Officers say Reed, who was a passenger, left the scene before they arrived.
“He told me they were running late for a meeting,” the driver told the officer in the video.
The wreck sent the Cobb County driver to the hospital with minor injuries. Perry said the mayor's actions could send a message to other elected officials.
“If Kasim Reed can do it, why can't I?” Perry told Geary Wednesday. “Then you've got elected officials all over the state and as we've seen endangering the public. Kasim Reed and his team endangered the public and there was a collision as a result. It sent a man to the hospital. What more needs to happen to stop this? Obviously prosecution.”
Perry said he's asked the Atlanta and Cobb solicitors to investigate and wants Georgia’s new attorney general to weigh in.
So far both offices have told Geary they have no comment on our investigation.
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“If the new attorney general doesn't come out and give guidance on this then I think it's the good ol' boy network in full effect. I know he has a close relationship with the mayor by traveling the world with Mayor Reed,” Perry told Geary.
“They've been assigned to protect our mayor. Right at seven years and one minor accident doing this work is exemplary,” Atlanta Police Chief George Turner told Geary about the mayor’s detail.
Turner said he has given the officers assigned to protect the mayor and his family the authority to use their discretion when turning on blue lights and sirens.
“My job as the police chief is to protect our mayor and his family and that's what we're going to do,” Turner said.
“This is a fine example of Kasim Reed's house of cards where everybody who is under his authority lines up with him,” Perry said. “Even the chief admits this has been extended to the mayor's wife and daughter, some have said mother as well. Where does it stop?”
The mayor's office released a statement to Geary late Wednesday afternoon saying their law department stands behind its legal opinion on the mayor's use of blue lights and sirens.
Geary has repeatedly asked for someone from the city's law department to go on-camera but they've declined.
The mayor's spokeswoman also called our stories reckless and irresponsible, but we stand by our reporting.
Cox Media Group
