Idling trains that block streets and walkways in Atlanta’s Hunter Hills neighborhood for several hours are “inexcusable,” railroad officials from CSX Transportation told residents in a community meeting Wednesday night. But shorter blockages that have obstructed motorists, school children, and emergency vehicles may be unavoidable right now, they said. The railroad officials said government intervention […]
Criminal Justice
Posted inCop City
Organizers Make Final Push on ‘Cop City’ Referendum
Mary Hooks was the first person to sign the petition for a ballot referendum on the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center, dubbed “Cop City.” More than six weeks later, she now spends her days canvassing the streets of Atlanta collecting signatures from registered voters to get the issue on the ballot. The Cop City Vote […]
Posted inCop City
Mayor’s Task Force Proposes Community-Centric Changes for Atlanta’s ‘Cop City’
A task force assembled by Mayor Andre Dickens has announced its recommendations to make the controversial public safety training center known as “Cop City” more “community-oriented.” The group proposes involving community members in developing anti-bias courses and other police training curriculum that acknowledge the “difficult history” of policing in Atlanta. “[The task force subgroups] all […]
Posted inPublic Safety
Atlanta’s ‘Broken Promises’: $67M for Cop City, Violence Prevention Left Behind
This story was published in partnership with The Trace. In December 2021, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms sent a news release announcing the formation of the city’s first-ever Office of Violence Reduction. The office was to be charged with coordinating efforts between community-led violence intervention programs and dispersing some $5 million in grants to organizations […]
Posted inIncarceration
Four Formerly Incarcerated People From South DeKalb Share Their Stories
This story was reported by Canopy Atlanta, a community-powered journalism nonprofit. This story was informed by feedback from the South DeKalb community as part of the South DeKalb Issue, a series of stories about the neighborhood. The Georgia Department of Corrections has 34 state prisons across the state, which house nearly 47,000 felony offenders. Formerly incarcerated South […]
Posted inPolicing
‘Let the People Decide’: Organizers Want a Referendum on ‘Cop City’
A citywide referendum is the next step for organizers in Atlanta who are determined to prevent the construction of the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center known as “Cop City” in the South River Forest. Activists who’ve spent the last two years organizing against the project turned their attention to the referendum after Atlanta City Council […]
Posted inCity Politics, Policing, Public Safety, Uncategorized
Now That ‘Cop City’ Is Being Built, What’s Next?
The Atlanta City Council approved using public funds to build a controversial new public safety training center — dubbed “Cop City” by opponents — following more than 14 hours of rebuke from hundreds of local residents who traveled to City Hall on Monday to oppose it. An Atlanta Community Stakeholder Advisory Committee report released in […]
Posted inCity Politics, Policing, Public Safety, Uncategorized
Atlanta Leaders Just Voted to Approve ‘Cop City’ Funding
The Atlanta City Council voted early Tuesday morning to approve legislation to move forward with funding for a new public safety training center known as “Cop City.” The 11-4 vote came after more than 14 hours of public comment that stretched overnight — mostly from people in opposition. Less than two weeks earlier, Atlanta government […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Environmental Justice, Policing, Public Safety
Key Dates and Moments in Atlanta’s ‘Cop City’ Controversy
The latest chapter in Atlanta’s yearslong public safety training center saga begins this week and tensions at City Hall couldn’t be much higher. The Atlanta City Council is scheduled to vote on legislation that would transfer millions of taxpayer dollars to the Atlanta Police Foundation to pay for construction of the training center that opponents […]
Posted inIncarceration
What Killed Lashawn Thompson?
On Monday, Karo Thompson stood on the steps of the Georgia State Capitol speaking about his nephew, who died while incarcerated at Fulton County Jail. “Every person that was put in office, raised their right hand, they swore an oath to uphold their duties and responsibility,” he said, at the family’s press conference revealing the […]