Support a Safer Atlanta
Sign this letter to Atlanta City Council
Dear Mayor Dickens and Members of the Atlanta City Council,
We write to you today to express our gratitude for your steadfast support of the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center, commonly and unfairly derided as “Cop City.” Your investment in well-trained law enforcement and other first responders will not only pay dividends for Atlanta residents who will be protected by best-in-class police officers, but also serve as an example for other cities across the country which also struggle with crime.
Thankfully, violent crime in Atlanta has declined from the shockingly high numbers we saw during the pandemic, but there is still significant room for improvement compared to pre-pandemic levels. Homicides in Atlanta during 2023 were still significantly higher than 2019, 2018, and 2017, and vehicle thefts and shoplifting rose 61% and 22% respectively in 2023.
Our work to make Atlanta a safer place is nowhere near finished. Atlantans deserve better policing, which is why the completion of this training facility is so important.
A recent Our America report on police reform highlights that enhanced, de-escalation training results in 26% less injuries to community members, 28% less use-of-force incidents, and 36% less injuries to police officers. Fewer negative, violent interactions involving police officers builds community trust, while fewer injuries to police officers allows more officers to not only remain healthy and come home safely to their families, but also stay on the street keeping their community safe.
A well trained police officer knows how and when to use force, but also when to deescalate a situation by prioritizing the safety of the residents they serve. This training facility means better training police which is better for every Atlantan.
Although the opponents of this state of the art facility are loud and violent, their numbers are few. The overwhelming majority of Atlantans support building this facility that will not only help train police officers, but also firefighters, EMS professionals, and other first responders.
Do not cave into the violent anarchists–some of whom aren’t even American let alone from the state of Georgia–who would put their radical dogma over the safety, rights, and well-being of Atlanta residents.
It is our hope that, despite the violent and lawless tactics of the training center’s opponents, you will remain strong in your support of this facility that will promote safer streets and brighter futures in Atlanta.
Sincerely,
Atlanta Citizens In Support of Law Enforcement