Atlanta, GA
Atlanta City Council poised to approve training center funding
ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – On Monday, hundreds of people crowded into Atlanta City Hall to voice opposition to the funding of the controversial public safety training center ahead of the Council’s final vote.
357 seven people signed up to give public comment, a process that is expected to take at least 12 hours.
“I am done with the niceties. I do not need your cell phone number, I need y’all to listen, and the people in my community matt are staying stop Cop City,” said Shannon Cofrin Gaggero, during Monday’s public comment period.
The public funding is expected to pass despite the outcry on Monday against public funding.
Councilmember Keisha Sean Waites told Atlanta News First she believes four councilmembers will vote against the project, leaving 11 voting for the public funding.
Another council member also told Atlanta News First on background that they believe that the final vote will either be 11-4 or 10-5 in support of publicly funding the training facility.
On Monday, in a breakout interview during the public comment period, Councilmember Michael Julian Bond he will vote in support of it because he believes the obligation of new training facilities outweighs the opposition against the project.
Atlanta News First asked Council President Doug Shipman ahead of the public comment period if the Council had already made up its mind.
“I think a lot of their minds are made up, but I’m not going to comment specifically because I don’t want to be seen as putting my thumb on the scale,” said Shipman. “I’m there to make sure it runs smoothly and obviously break a tie if necessary.”
The City of Atlanta will be responsible for $67 million in taxpayer spending for the project, including $30 million in a one-time capital investment to the Atlanta Police Foundation for the ongoing development of the project.
In addition, the City will pay $1 million towards a new gymnasium on the site.
Also, the City will be on the hook for a lease-back agreement with the Police Foundation. The terms of that agreement are $1.2 million annually for the next 30 years.
The far majority of those who spoke to the council were opposed to public funding of the project.
“Instead make investments that are necessary to create truly public safety. Invest in affordable housing, invest in affordable healthcare,” said Gary Spencer with the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.
In addition to the 357 people who signed up, the Council passed a motion to allow those who were still waiting in line to sign up, but were unable to, to still be able to give comment after the initial comment period.
“We should have been prepared to accept the people today,” said Councilmember Andrea Boone, reacting to those initially turned away from being able to speak.
The Atlanta City Council is set to vote on whether or not to fund the public safety training center.
The outcries extended from inside City to outside in downtown Atlanta.
For hours on end, chanting could be heard in the streets of Atlanta outside City Hall.
“What good is it training if the police officer that you’re training is already a bad police officer on the street? Not all police officers are bad police officers but what we in the community want is for the bad officers to be off the street,” Opponent Queen K said.
Hundreds of people lined up outside Atlanta City Hall in hopes of getting inside for public comment. City Hall even changed its policy and would not allow gels or liquids inside out of an abundance of caution over explosives.
“There’s going to be officers who slip through the cracks and officers who get weak and have a moment of weakness and might lose their temper. That’s all improved by training,” Supporter Lou Arcangeli said.
“The police officer who murdered Rayshard Brooks had hours and hours of training, the police officers who shot Jamarion Robinson over 100 times had hours and hours of training and when we talk about bad apples, bad apples come from rotten trees. The whole institution is rotten to its core,” Opponent Mary Hooks said.
Amid everything happening outside, there was a large police presence, and everything remained peaceful.
“We’re spending millions on this that could be put into reimagining a way to do things besides beefing up force,” opponent Chad Hale said.
Copyright 2023 WANF. All rights reserved.
Atlanta, GA
17-year-old shot in foot on Christmas Eve, Atlanta police say
ATLANTA – A 17-year-old male is recovering after being shot in the foot on Christmas Eve, according to the Atlanta Police Department.
Officers responded to Grady Memorial Hospital around 10:39 p.m. on Dec. 24, after receiving a report of a gunshot victim. The teenager was being treated by medical staff for a gunshot wound to his left foot.
Preliminary information suggests the shooting may have occurred near 609 Thurmond Street NW. Investigators from the department’s Aggravated Assault Unit are working to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Authorities emphasized that details are subject to change as the investigation continues.
Atlanta, GA
Atlanta police officer surprises 12-year-old with Christmas gift for good behavior
ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – An Atlanta police officer made a 12-year-old boy’s Christmas a little brighter this year.
On Monday, Officer Sebastian Kertchaval surprised 12-year-old Amir with a PlayStation 5, police said in a social media post.
Police said Kertchaval met Amir and his family over the summer while “responding to a 911 call for an unruly child.”
During that visit, Kertchaval saw that Amir was upset with his mother and grandmother.
“And though tensions were high in their home, Ofc. Kertchaval remained patient with Amir, and took the time to positively connect with Amir and was ultimately able to de-escalate the upset child,” police said.
Since that first meeting, Amir’s grandmother has kept Kertchaval updated on Amir’s “increasingly positive behavior throughout the year.”
After hearing of Amir’s progress, Kertchaval bought Amir a new PlayStation 5 for both Christmas and as a reward for his progress.
“Thank you, Officer Kertchaval, for your dedication to community policing and for being a positive example during this holiday season,” police said.
Copyright 2024 WANF. All rights reserved.
Atlanta, GA
Some Metro Atlanta Starbucks employees go on strike amid the holidays
ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – You may experience order delays if you are headed to a Starbucks on Christmas Eve. Some workers in Metro Atlanta are on strike.
Representatives with Starbucks Workers United tell Atlanta News First they feel underpaid and understaffed and are protesting the lack of progress in contract negotiation with the company.
Starbucks union workers in Alpharetta are making their voices heard loud and clear. They allege unfair labor practices.
“When Starbucks workers first started to unionize, they gave non-union workers pay raises and the partners that were unionized didn’t get that until later and so they’re owed back pay,” said Danielle Stolton, Shift supervisor at the Alpharetta store.
Stolton said she has been a part of the bargaining process.
“Personally, last year was the worst year,” she said. “I had a mental breakdown, actually.”
Stolton and others planned this one-day strike to stand in solidarity with over 5,000 workers at more than 300 stores that are protesting.
Strikes have been going on in some places since last Friday. Some baristas said they want better pay and better benefits.
“I know baristas in my store personally who are having to choose between gas or groceries so when you see problems like that it’s really hard to not feel some type of way about the fact that Starbucks made 24 billion dollars in profit this year, two percent more than last year and we’re still seeing two percent pay raises,” said Vivek G, a Starbucks employee.
Starbucks Workers United said the company failed to honor a commitment made in February.
In a statement to Atlanta News First, Starbucks said:
“Only around 170 Starbucks stores did not open as planned. With over 10,000 company-operated stores, 98% of our stores and nearly 200,000 green apron partners continuing to operate and serve customers during the holidays,” the coffeechain added.
Some workers feel differently.
“It’s just basic living wages and also again to reiterate is just to have. We’re asking for minimum staffing and realistic expectations and just the ability to run our floors and run our stores in a way that makes the most sense. They say they want to hear us, they say they want to listen but every time we ask for help, we get told no,” Stolton said.
Copyright 2024 WANF. All rights reserved.
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