Atlanta City Council President Felicia A. Moore Releases Statement on Addressing Crime
Atlanta City Council President Felicia A. Moore released the following statement about addressing crime in the city of Atlanta:
“The year 2020 is coming to an end; however, efforts to address its outcomes are far from over. The City of Atlanta has witnessed crime at heights unseen in almost 22 years and we must reverse this dynamic immediately. From the beginning of this term, I have promoted the concept of collaboration along with the free exchange of ideas and suggestions. While I wish the circumstances that brought us here were different, I am eager to collaboratively attack the issue of crime in our city – exceeding the vigor with which crime has attacked us.
The following are three suggestions that I believe can be acted upon immediately to begin ushering Atlanta out of this crisis:
• A search for a permanent police chief must be launched. It is time to identify the leader who will carry the city’s primary law enforcement agency into the next era of world-class community-oriented policing. The existing market conditions and political climate are factors we cannot ignore; nor, can we allow them to impede this process.
• Public safety is a citywide right, and a strong law enforcement agency is integral to ensuring it. We must retain the exceptional talent housed within the Atlanta Police Department, supporting their performance, and incentivizing their commitment to keep all communities safe. In tandem with retaining top law enforcement talent, we must embark upon the process of resolving any current disciplinary issues within our police force, as proper oversight and accountability are also key components of the public safety discourse.
• Resume operations of the municipal and county court systems by effectively engaging the applicable district attorneys, sheriffs, and judicial leaders. While it is understood that court operations will be modified to ensure employee/citizen safety during the pandemic, it is vital that we maintain synergies between the work of law enforcement and the court system as a deterrent to violent crime.
As previously stated, these are just initial recommendations. Atlanta has overcome seemingly insurmountable odds before. We can do it again and we can do it now.”
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