Council presents, adopts legislation for police reform and community building

7 min readJun 18, 2020

Click here: citycouncil.atlantaga.gov/legislation/personal-papers

Council President Felicia Moore:

“Recent deadly shootings by police and the protests and demonstrations that we’ve seen here in Atlanta and across the world have put a renewed and needed focus on the deep-rooted sense of frustration and pain in our community.
Members of the Council rightfully took steps during our meeting Monday to tackle some of these challenges and I know we’ll continue to propose, examine, and enact ways to increase police accountability and build greater trust and cooperation between our law enforcement and the community.”

Council Member Joyce Sheperd, Public Safety/Legal Administration Committee Chair

“There are clear and real concerns about the relationship between the community and law enforcement in our city. It’s vital that we have fundamental change and make the right decisions to make sure our communities are both safe and treated fairly by the police.
We had several pieces of legislation introduced recently that aim to improve community policing and increase accountability, which are good steps. I know we’ll continue to have open communication and look for ways to enact true reform.”

The following items were introduced during Monday’s meeting:

① 20-O-1450

• An ordinance prohibiting the Atlanta Police Department from using military-style vehicles and banning the use of rubber bullets and stun grenades to disperse protesters.

• WHEREAS, the City is committed to retaining and supporting our APD officers who have committed to the highest standards of policing

• WHEREAS, driven by the Black Lives Matter movement, there has been an outcry for Atlanta to re-examine its approach to policing

• WHEREAS, it is the intent of the City Council to restrict the APD budget for Q3 and Q4 of FY2021 and place such amounts into a Public Safety and Community Support Restricted Fund while a review of the City’s approach to public safety and policing is conducted

• WHEREAS, to assist in the analysis of any policy or budgetary changes to APD, the City Council requests that the Chief Operating Officer (“COO”) conduct a review of the operations and budget of APD

• WHEREAS, City Council requests that the COO make his final recommendations to City Council by December 1, 2020, such that further budget determinations may be made by the City Council thereafter

② 20-O-1449

• An ordinance to adopt the “8 Can’t Wait” principles and amend the Atlanta Police Department’s standard operating procedures to incorporate procedural changes for alternatives to use of force.

WHEREAS, “8 Can’t Wait” is a project by the anti-police-brutality agency, Campaign Zero, created in an effort to reduce police violence through the adoption and implementation of restrictions in police use of force policies which are found to be associated with reductions in killings by police

WHEREAS, Campaign Zero was launched in August 2015 as a result police protests in Ferguson, Missouri, following the death of an unarmed black teenager Michael Brown, by a white police officer

WHEREAS, the Atlanta City Council supports the long-term goal to develop a non-police group to respond to non-criminal calls, and other reforms to curb use of excessive force

WHEREAS, the Atlanta City Council supports APD amending its Standard Operating Procedures to incorporate procedural changes which supports alternatives to use of force

③ 20-R-4068

A resolution to create a Public Safety and Community Support Restricted Fund and authorize the chief operating officer to produce a report of recommendations to enhance the City’s approach to public safety.

• WHEREAS, the City is committed to retaining and supporting our APD officers who have committed to the highest standards of policing

• WHEREAS, driven by the Black Lives Matter movement, there has been an outcry for Atlanta to re-examine its approach to policing

④ 20-R-4061

• A resolution to create a participatory engagement process with the community to select a street where a permanent “Black Lives Matter” mural may be installed to commemorate the “Black Lives Matter” movement in Atlanta.

WHEREAS, The Black Lives Matter (BLM) is an international human rights movement which campaigns against violence and systemic racism towards black people

WHEREAS, it is only fitting that the City of Atlanta, the home of the civil rights movement, installs on one of its street, a permanent mural to remind all who may walk and drive through our streets that Black Lives Matter

WHEREAS, the City of Atlanta endeavors to govern with transparency and prioritize citizen engagement to the greatest extent possible, the participatory engagement process allows residents to have a more direct say in what projects their tax dollars fund

⑤ 20-O-1445

• An ordinance to amend the City’s code of ordinances to add two youth members and expand the investigative authority of the Atlanta Citizen Review Board.

WHEREAS, the Atlanta Citizen Review Board (ACRB) was established pursuant to Ordinance 07-O-014, adopted by the City Council on May 5, 2007, and approved as law May 13, 2007, to provide citizen oversight of misconduct accusations against sworn members of the police and corrections departments in the City of Atlanta

WHEREAS, oversight of the City’s law enforcement is more important than ever, to restore citizen’s trust and confidence that officers sworn to serve and protect are held accountable for allegations and specific acts of misconduct

WHEREAS, the proposed amendments serve to enhance the ACRB’s oversight responsibilities, streamline the investigative process, and include provisions for providing resolutions

WHEREAS, the proposed amendments are designed to increase accountability and efficiency and create a citizen review board structure and process citizens can trust with their complaints

⑥ 20-O-1459

• An ordinance to amend the City’s code of ordinances to decriminalize victimless minor offenses.

WHEREAS, the Atlanta Code of Ordinances allows for jail time for minor offenses and harmless activities, such as smoking in a public facility, monetary solicitation, loitering and even spitting

WHEREAS, many of these offenses can be addressed with a desk appearance ticket or referral to a community service program

WHEREAS, many of the low level offenses cited in the Code is punishable by a fine of up to $1,000.00 or imprisonment for a term of up to six months

WHEREAS, these penalties serve little to help our community and can often create additional hardships for our citizens most in need

⑦ 20-O-1454

• An ordinance to amend the City’s code of ordinances to designate Juneteenth as a City paid holiday.

WHEREAS, Juneteenth is the oldest recognized celebration observing the freedom of African Americans from slavery in the United States. Juneteenth is a historic milestone reminding Americans of the triumph of the human spirit over the harshness of slavery and the basic civil right of freedom and equality for all

WHEREAS, Juneteenth is celebrated in more than 205 American cities and is officially recognized by 46 states including Georgia, which became the thirty-seventh state to recognize it with the passage of S.R. 164 co-sponsored by Senators Lester Jackson, Donzella James and Valencia Seay in 2011

WHEREAS, it is not enough for the City of Atlanta to enjoy parades, marches and other events celebrating Juneteenth. Atlanta must recognize Juneteenth as an official City holiday, which will help support the campaign to recognize Juneteenth as a national holiday

WHEREAS, Atlanta, known as the cradle of the civil rights movement, can serve as a symbol and vessel that pushes this campaign forward

The following items were approved by immediate consideration:

⑧ 20-R-4057

• A resolution that the Atlanta City Council respectfully request the Georgia General Assembly to enact House Bill 426 — the “Georgia Hate Crimes Act” — within the state of Georgia.

WHEREAS, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) defines a hate crime as “a criminal offense against a person or property motivated in whole or in part by an offender’s bias against race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender, or gender identity

WHEREAS, the majority of states in the U.S. have enacted hate crime legislation to address harms against others motivated by racism, hatred and prejudice

WHEREAS, it is in the best interest of the health and general welfare of the City, the State of Georgia and the Nation that the Atlanta City Council supports the adoption of HB 426 “Georgia Hate Crimes Act”

⑨ 20-R-4058

• A resolution urging the City of Atlanta and the Georgia General Assembly to adopt policies to implement comprehensive police reform.

WHEREAS, the City of Atlanta should immediately adopt comprehensive police reform legislation which should include policy decriminalizing low-level offenses, placing more emphasis on community policing, offering additional training for police officers and ensuring expanded rights for victims of police violence, and other provisions

WHEREAS, Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms issued an Executive Order on June 4, 2020 to convene an Advisory Council to examine the City’s use of force policies and procedures in order to make recommendations for any operational or legislative changes within 45 days of the issuance of the Order

WHEREAS, there is a need for local and statewide reform of police policies