After another shooting involving Atlanta’s so-called “water boys,” police are mulling an additional measure aimed at cracking down on unauthorized water sales at busy intersections: citing the teenagers’ parents.
The latest incident occurred Thursday evening when a 16-year-old was shot in the leg during a fight over bottled water sales near Mercedes-Benz Stadium, authorities said.
The victim flagged down an officer near Northside Drive and Martin Luther King Jr. Drive just before 7:15 p.m. and told them he was shot during an argument with someone else selling water.
“Preliminary investigation revealed the two males were involved in water sales at the location and got into a verbal dispute over money,” Atlanta police said. “That dispute then escalated to gunfire.”
The suspect ran from the scene after the shooting, authorities said, but it’s unclear if police have identified him. The victim was taken to the hospital and is expected to survive his injuries.
An Atlanta police spokesman said Friday that the department is considering a proposal to cite the parents of those repeatedly caught selling water to motorists.
“As many are aware, there have been incidents involving youths selling water at intersections throughout the city where they have either committed a crime or were a victim of a crime,” Officer Anthony Grant said in an emailed statement. “These crimes committed aren’t representative of all the youths who simply wish to earn a supplemental income for themselves and their families, but it is a trend that requires action.”
If approved, the department said the issuance of citations to parents would be done “moderately and as a last resort,” depending on the circumstances surrounding each case. The measure would be taken in conjunction with other efforts to redirect the teens to a “safer alternative,” Grant said.
City officials announced they would crack down on water sales last year following a spike in shootings and arrests stemming from disputes between young people and drivers on Atlanta’s roads.
In June, 18-year-old Jalanni Pless was gunned down while selling water to drivers in Midtown. Pless’ mother told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution her son was killed by another teen who believed Pless and his friends were selling water on what they considered their turf. A 16-year-old was eventually charged in the deadly shooting, police said.
Weeks later, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms issued an administrative order creating an advisory council tasked with developing strategies to help promote youth entrepreneurship in the city.
“We appreciate the entrepreneurial spirit of youth who are selling water to motorists,” Bottoms said at the time. “But we have seen an increase in unsafe and violent activity in some locations and cannot allow it to continue.”
In February, the City Council passed a resolution tasking the city with conducting a feasibility study into whether it should start its own water bottling and distribution business that could employ some of the teens. The city is considering starting a “municipal enterprise,” a business owned by a local government that generates revenue for local communities. The resolution states that the program could provide job opportunities for the city’s “young water vendors,” many of whom come from low-income families.
The study is set to include potential water bottling distributors, the legal requirements for starting a municipal enterprise and a cost-revenue analysis.
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