Community weighs in on security at King family home and MLK birth home

ATLANTA, Ga. — Tuesday, members of the Sweet Auburn community learned more about planned tourism at the King family home in Vine City and about security at the MLK birth home in Northeast Atlanta.

The National Park Service held one of two meetings Tuesday afternoon, just one month after Atlanta police said a 26-year-old woman tried to set the MLK birth home on fire.

“[It’s] sad that that was even a thought that could come to a person’s mind to do something like that to a historic site,” resident Priscilla Borders said.

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Borders told Channel 2′s Audrey Washington, she has lived down the street from the historic birth home, for about 20 years.

She believes a 24-hour security system would help protect the home.

“Security system, the cameras [to give] particularly easy access to the park service and APD so we would have instantaneous response from park service and APD 24 hours a day,” Borders explained.

During the meeting, National Park Service rangers talked about other solutions.

“We want to let people know we’re watching and we’re definitely going to be upping the security,” Karen Cucurullo with the National Park Service said.

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David Mitchell with the Atlanta Preservation Center said a community watch system or an off-duty police officer on site, would be a good idea.

“You’re going to have different challenges occur, so just be proactive,” David Mitchell with the Atlanta Preservation Center, told Washington.

A second meeting in the Vine City neighborhood will be held on Jan. 31 to discuss King Family home tourism and security.

That meeting is open to the public.

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