The Atlanta City Council will not move forward for now with a proposal to ban ski masks and hoodies in Atlanta.
Channel 2′s Audrey Washington spoke last week with Councilman Antonio Lewis, who is behind the proposal and said it would hinder crime. But some civil rights activists told Washington they believe the ban could lead to racial profiling.
On Monday, the council’s public safety committee voted to table the proposal until changes could be made.
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Before the vote, the committee heard from a number of Atlanta residents who both supported and opposed the legislation.
Ralph Long III said he thought it was a good piece of legislation and had a productive conversation with Lewis about it on the phone.
“I can’t imagine what a business owner feels like when they have 50 people rush in and steal all their property. I can’t imagine what the victim feels like when somebody has a mask on, stabs them and kills them,” Long III said. “I think it’s absolutely absurd that there is objection to this bill. I want to walk around in public and feel safe.”
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Activist Devin Barrington-Ward said he is “perplexed” by the legislation and that it wouldn’t reduce crime.
“I don’t want to see cookie cutter solutions. I don’t want to see quick fixes. I want to see systematic change that keeps Atlanta residents safe. An mask ordinance is not that,” he said.
Several councilmembers who were listed as co-sponsors made a motion to remove their names from the legislation. The committee voted to table the ski mask ordinance, but Lewis vowed to bring it back before the council at a future date.
“It will come back as a changed piece. It will be ski masks. It will be public locations. That’s going to be a thing in the city of Atlanta we’ll be fighting for. It will come back,” Lewis said.
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