Atlanta public safety training center should be finished this year, mayor says

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens announced on Wednesday that the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center should be finished being built by the end of the year.

The site of the facility has been no stranger to protests, vandalism and hold-ups since being announced.

Mayor Dickens says that despite this, the center is more than 75% complete and should be finished in December 2024.

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“We are moving forward as planned and not allowing distractions to deter us from improving the safety of Atlantans by completing the public safety training center,” said Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens. “We have intentionally worked to incorporate the voice of the people, garnering strong support from the majority of our citizens who actively contributed valuable recommendations and feedback to this effort.”

Deputy Chief Operating Officer LaChandra Burks estimates that attacks related to the training center have raised its estimated cost from $90 million to $109.6 million, but neither the city nor its citizens will be responsible for the additional costs.

On Wednesday, the Atlanta Police Department held a news conference about another arson related to the construction of the facility in DeKalb County.

They say someone set fire to a piece of construction equipment on Tuesday night.

Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum says they will be placing 450 billboards across the country to identify the arsonists and are offering a $200,000 reward.

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In the last year, dozens of protestors have been arrested for acts related to opposition to the training facility, which they call “Cop City.”

More than 60 protestors face RICO charges in a sweeping indictment handed up in September 2023.

Thursday, Jan. 18 marks one year since one of those protestors, Manuel “Tortuguita” Teran was shot and killed by a GSP trooper clearing the forest where the facility was to be built.

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IN RELATED NEWS:

APD offers $200K reward for information in arson cases possibly linked to training center protests The Atlanta Police Department just announced a $200,000 Crime Stoppers reward for information leading to an arrest of people who set fires across parts of Atlan

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