This week, the leader of the Atlanta Police Department stated his case for their proposed $247 million budget. Chief Darin Schierbaum presented the department’s top priorities for the upcoming fiscal year, with personnel representing $202 million of the tab. Overall, the department is asking for an $11.7 million increase from the current year. “The number […]
Madeline Thigpen
Madeline Thigpen is Capital B Atlanta's criminal justice reporter.
Posted inCriminal Justice, Policing
Georgia Victims of Police Brutality Tell the U.N. Their Story
Four years after an Atlanta police officer killed 21-year-old Jimmy Atchison, his father spoke in front of a United Nations delegation to the U.S. about their family’s continued fight for justice. “We knew from day one, the shooting of my son was not justified and should never have happened,” Atchison’s father, Jimmy Hill, told the […]
Posted inPublic Safety
As a Mass Shooting Unfolded in Atlanta, Some Of Us Got Text Alerts. Did You?
A mass shooting in Midtown on Wednesday afternoon left some residents confused about what was going on and what to do. Others received alerts on their phones and emails with warnings in real time. “Active shooter incident in Midtown — Shelter in place! Please avoid the area surrounding West Peachtree St., 14th St., 12th St., […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Higher Education, Policing
Why Atlanta College Students and Professors are Chanting, ‘Stop Cop City’
At a rally on Emory University’s quad earlier this week, Maresah Malcom, a senior from Decatur, joined just over 100 fellow students in protesting the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center, also known as “Cop City.” Malcom said she came to the Stop Cop City demonstration because the facility is being built in the area where […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Policing
How the Stop Cop City Movement Inspired Angela Davis
Add Angela Davis to the list of civil rights activists protesting the construction of a new law enforcement training facility in South River Forest known as “Cop City.” On March 24, while delivering the keynote address at the 20th Annual Walter Rodney Symposium at the Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel at Morehouse College, Davis […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Policing
Meet Some of the Black Voices on Dickens’ ‘Cop City’ Community Task Force
English Park resident Donna Stephens is one of 40 people who accepted Mayor Andre Dickens’ invitation to sit on the South River Forest and Public Safety Training Facility task force. Stephens accepted the invitation in large part because she is concerned about the environmental implications tied to the training center known as “Cop City.” Stephens […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Public Safety
Can An Old Public Safety Campaign Curb Youth Violence in Atlanta?
Last month, the Atlanta City Council channeled a past public safety campaign to address present crime issues. Adopted by the council on March 20, the resolution calls for community organizations and media to bring back the popular public safety campaign “It’s 9 p.m., do you know where your children are?” The PSAs, a brief announcement […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Public Safety
In a Crisis? 911 Isn’t Always the Answer in Metro Atlanta
In an emergency situation, it may feel like calling 911 is your only option. However, decades of mistreatment by law enforcement have left many in Black communities feeling like they have no one to call in a crisis. A Washington Post database that tracks fatal shootings by an on-duty police officer shows that 21% of […]
Posted inCity Politics
We Asked All 16 Members of the Atlanta City Council About ‘Cop City.’ Two Responded.
Land clearing is underway in the South River Forest where Atlanta is set to build its new public safety training center, nicknamed “Cop City.” As the community continues to debate the need for the facility, Atlanta City Council members have remained tight-lipped on the issue. Back on Sept. 8, 2021, the council voted 10-4 in […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Policing
A Fight for Justice: Why the Family of Matthew Zadok Williams Is Suing DeKalb County
Chris Ann Lewis and her five daughters have spent almost two years trying to get justice for their son and little brother Matthew Zadok Williams, who was killed by a DeKalb County police officer. “This has to stop. The senseless killing of the mentally ill, it has to stop,” Lewis said. “They’re our brothers, our […]