Valerie Handy-Carey is no closer to finding her daughter Brittany’s killer today than she was when she got the call about her death over three years ago. “My daughter is dead, and nobody has been held accountable,” Handy-Carey told Capital B Atlanta from her home in Columbus, Ohio. A flight attendant for Spirit Airlines, 33-year-old […]
Public Safety
Posted inCommunity, Politics & Policy, Public Safety
Immigrants’ Advocate Fights ICE Raids, Federal Push to ‘Snatch Our People’
As Georgia ranks as one of the top states for Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrests, immigrants, families, and advocates on the front lines share their fears and the fight for freedom in a series of interviews. Nana Gyamfi is intentional about the word she uses to encapsulate federal agents’ ongoing sweep in Atlanta and throughout […]
Posted inElections, Politics & Policy, Public Safety
What Does Public Safety Look Like to You? A City Council Candidate Asks Atlantans.
Creating a climate where people feel safe in their communities can be one of the most difficult tasks an elected official takes on. Public safety is an umbrella term for a network of community, law enforcement and public health officials working together to create that sense of security. This election cycle, both candidates running for […]
Posted inHigher Education, Public Safety
HBCUs Were on Lockdown After Terrorist Threats
Several Historically Black Colleges and Universities across the country were on lockdown Thursday after a series of “terrorist threats.” Early Thursday morning, Hampton University and Virginia State University said they received terrorist threats. Later, the list grew as Alabama State University, Clark Atlanta University, Southern University in Louisiana, and Bethune-Cookman in Florida reported threats. Spelman […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Public Safety
After Mass Shooting, Atlanta Launches New Safety Measures in Sweet Auburn
Last Monday, a mass shooting on Edgewood Avenue left 11 people injured, one man dead, and Atlanta’s Sweet Auburn neighborhood reeling. In response to increased pressure from the neighborhood planning unit, the city on Aug. 4 released its Coordinated Safety & Compliance Measures on Edgewood Avenue plan with a list of actions to address safety […]
Posted inCourts, Policing, Public Safety
DA Doesn’t Appeal Judge’s Decision to Drop Charges Against Cop Who Killed Jimmy Atchison
An Atlanta father isn’t giving up after Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis did not appeal a federal judge’s ruling to dismiss the charges against the police officer who killed his son. Jimmy Hill said he is disappointed, but not surprised by the decision. On Jan. 22, 2019, Hill’s 21-year-old son, Jimmy Atchison, was shot […]
Posted inPublic Safety, Transportation
State Investigation Finds Missing Belts As A Cause Of Escalator Collapse After Beyoncé Concert
After an escalator malfunction left at least 24 people injured at a MARTA station following a Beyoncé concert earlier this month, a state investigation found that missing parts on the escalator and an overload of passengers were the likely causes of the accident. On July 15, as people were leaving Mercedes-Benz Stadium after Beyoncé’s final […]
Posted inPublic Safety
Why Black Parents Need to Talk to Their Kids About Guns
When TeKesia Shields founded Mother’s Against Gang Violence in 2016, it was a group for parents to learn how to recognize signs that their child might be involved in gang activity. The organization was born out of Shields’ desire to reflect on her own mistakes. In 2016, she found out her 17-year-old son was in […]
Posted inCommunity Spotlight, Policing, Public Safety, Public Services
Atlanta’s Police Budget Could Increase by $54.6 Million
The Atlanta Police Department plans to spend $54.6 million more than they did last year, a 15% jump. The increase is part of the $3 billion total operating budget that Mayor Andre Dickens is asking the City Council to approve, a move that would raise the city’s general fund budget by 14% to $975.4 million. […]
Posted inIncarceration, Policing, Politics & Policy, Public Safety
Overcrowded and Understaffed: Fulton County Jail Gets Money to Hire More Deputies
Fulton County commissioners voted on Wednesday to allocate additional funding to staff Sheriff Patrick Labat’s office, following a scathing November U.S. Department of Justice report that cited understaffing as a cause of rampant, unchecked violence at Fulton County Jail. Vice Chair Bob Ellis introduced the resolution, which will support the hiring and retention of new […]