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 […]
Madeline Thigpen
Madeline Thigpen is Capital B Atlanta's criminal justice reporter.
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, 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 […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Policing, Public Safety
Yes, Black People Are Protesting Cop City, Too
For months, politicians including Mayor Andre Dickens and Gov. Brian Kemp have characterized the Stop Cop City movement as being composed of outside “agitators” coming to cause trouble in Atlanta. The 85-acre public safety training facility is set to be built in the South River Forest in south DeKalb County. Surrounded by majority Black neighborhoods, […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Policing
Yes, Black People Are Protesting ‘Cop City,’ Too
For months, politicians including Mayor Andre Dickens and Gov. Brian Kemp have characterized the Stop Cop City movement as being composed of outside “agitators” coming to cause trouble in Atlanta. The 85-acre public safety training facility is set to be built in the South River Forest in south DeKalb County. Surrounded by majority Black neighborhoods, […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Comedians’ Atlanta Airport Racial Profiling Suit Faces Qualified Immunity Challenge
An attorney representing the four Clayton County law enforcement officers being sued for alleged racial profiling at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport has filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit, claiming qualified immunity. The officers are being sued by stand-up comedians Eric Andre and Clayton English, who were, on separate occasions, stopped and questioned while trying […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Policing
Tale of the Tape: An Expert Weighs In on the ‘Cop City’ Bodycam Footage
Newly released body camera footage from a deadly encounter at “Cop City” has left locals with more questions than answers. Last week, speculation around the events that led to the Jan. 18 shooting in South River Forest has grown since the Atlanta Police Department released videos from officers in the vicinity of where environmental activist […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Public Safety
Who Is ‘Cop City’ For? Residents Living Near the Site Aren’t So Sure.
Jacqueline Crew is a longtime resident of south DeKalb County who says she had not heard of “Cop City” until the deadly standoff that killed environmental activist Manuel “Tortuguita” Paez Terán, and left a Georgia state trooper wounded. “I knew nothing about it. I have not heard nothing from the commissioners. I haven’t heard any […]