Mayor Bottoms vows to beat “Covid crimewave” in State of the City address

ATLANTA — Atlanta’s mayor is laying out her plans moving forward a year into the pandemic.

Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms gave her annual State of the City address Wednesday morning.

Bottoms spoke about crime and the rise in violence across the city. She said that is the focus of Atlanta police and her administration, even as many, including state lawmakers, call for more and swifter action.

“The state of our city is strong,” Bottoms said during her speech.

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Bottoms focused on public safety and reducing crime.

“It’s been a tough year for our communities and for law enforcement, not just in Atlanta, but across America,” Bottoms said.

Touting the largest pay increase for police in city history, Bottoms also committed to adding 250 new officers in the next fiscal year.

“We’re also working now with city council to enact a retention bonus to keep those officers from leaving the force,” Bottoms said.

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But according to a letter sent by state lawmakers to the city about the rise in crime and loss of officers, the hiring would simply replace those who left APD in 2020.

Georgia House Speaker David Ralston also announced hearings and possible state intervention to curb crime in Atlanta.

“This pandemic of lawlessness has now reached crisis proportions,” Ralston said.

To help fight crime, Bottoms also committed to working with partners to build a new state-of-the art public safety training facility. Recruits currently learn at an old, decaying school building.

Atlanta will also invest $3 million for 250 new surveillance cameras and tag readers across the city.

“Atlanta will get to the other side of this Covid crimewave and we will get this violence under control,” Bottoms said.

The mayor also announced plans for new de-escalation training for APD officers and opening two new youth centers in southwest and southeast Atlanta, similar to the one recently opened in Vine City.

Atlanta mayor, police to lay out plan in place to combat city’s rising crime

Cox Media Group