Atlanta police, city officials cracking down on roadside water sales

Atlanta police are cracking down on teens selling bottled water at intersections following a string of violent incidents across the city, the mayor’s office announced Saturday.

The decision comes after a recent spike in shootings and arrests stemming from disputes between young people and drivers on Atlanta’s roadways.

“We appreciate the entrepreneurial spirit of youth who are selling water to motorists,” Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said in a statement. “But we have seen an increase in unsafe and violent activity in some locations and cannot allow it to continue.”

Several teens have been arrested in recent weeks after reportedly pulling guns on drivers who refused to buy their water at stoplights, authorities said. Last week, a man was shot twice in his car following a dispute with a group of young people on an I-20 exit ramp, AJC.com previously reported.

The driver survived his injuries.

Later that day, a 14-year-old selling water at a busy Buckhead intersection was detained by police after reportedly flashing a pistol at a driver stopped at Peachtree Drive and Piedmont Road. When officers searched the teen, they found a handgun and marijuana, police said. He was charged and released to his aunt that afternoon.

And last month, an 18-year-old believed to have been selling bottled water with a group of people in Midtown was found shot to death in a parking garage, according to investigators.

Bottoms issued an administrative order several weeks ago creating an advisory council tasked with developing strategies to help promote youth entrepreneurship in the city.

According to Saturday’s news release, police officers, community advocates and support groups will approach young people spotted selling water on Atlanta’s streets and “direct them to safer and more beneficial opportunities.”

It wasn’t immediately clear if Atlanta police have been instructed to arrest repeat offenders, however.

“It’s going to take a village and we are working with our partners to provide outreach and resources to these young people to help them gain access to job opportunities, workforce training and educational programs,” Bottoms said.

The advisory council, which includes residents, business leaders, nonprofits and faith-based organizations, is expected to report its recommendations to the mayor July 31.