Mayor Bottoms, APD chief working on public safety plan to address spike in crime

ATLANTA — Atlanta’s mayor wants people to know she has a plan to get tough on crime even though the city has seen a surge in crime.

Keisha Lance Bottoms and Atlanta interim police Chief Rodney Bryant held a virtual meeting Thursday to discuss their public safety plans.

Bottoms spoke about a partnership with Fulton County District Attorney and Sheriff’s Offices to help her administration fight the rising crime, in particular gangs, guns and violent offenses.

The mayor also said she’s working to install more cameras around the city and schools. Bryant said APD plans to work with some state agencies they left in 2020.

“We are rejoining a number of task forces that will bring us additional resources. The Fulton County Sheriff’s office and some state resources that we are rejoining,” he said.

Bryant said those partnerships have already had some success in getting bad guys off the street.

“Through Operation Phoenix, thus far we have apprehended over 14 violent offenders. In addition, our APD units have continued to make progress removing over 678 guns off the streets and apprehending some 385 offenders.”

The mayor says she is also trying to partner with more businesses to help fight crime, which she says is a national problem.

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However another tough reality for the city is keeping police officers and dispatchers on the force. Many leave for other cities and counties. Bottoms hopes a 30% pay increase and a restructuring of duties will help.

“I’m certain and confident these different collaborations and entities that we are rejoining and the restructuring internally will bring the resource needed to address the numbers that we’ve seen,” she said.

Atlanta City Councilman Antonio Brown told Huddleston he thinks it’s time to revamp Atlanta’s public safety units.

Brown said that defunding the police is not the answer, but current police practices aren’t working either. He added that’s one reason Atlanta has seen so many officer-involved shootings.

The councilman wants to create a new public safety department and have social workers handle homeless, mental health and non-emergency calls instead of police officers.

He has the support for 10 other council members. But Bottoms isn’t on board.

“I don’t believe another department creation is necessary,” she said.

Bottoms said police and Atlanta fire are already working on re-organizing their departments with the help of Atlanta residents and citizens review board.

If there is to be a restructuring of city department, Bottoms said that is the mayor’s job.

“Starting up a city department is very costly and also is quite frankly is under the purview of the administration as to how we re-organize,” she said.

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