Fulton County commissioners Wednesday defended their use of police drivers, but postponed action on a proposal that some say would make it easier for them to get rides from the on-duty officers.
The proposal would eliminate a requirement that commissioners file police reports documenting threats to their safety to justify the use of police drivers. The requirement was put in place 10 years ago amid a public backlash against commissioners’ use of on-duty officers to chauffeur them to public events. Now commissioners say requirement isn’t needed and that it hinders the police department’s ability to protect them.
Commissioner Robb Pitts proposed the resolution, which he said it would push Police Chief Cassandra Jones to develop specific criteria to determine whether commissioners need police protection and drivers.
“As it’s currently written, there’s too much room for interpretation or misinterpretation,” Pitts said.
Others say the proposal appears to loosen – not strengthen – the rules.
“Obviously, we’ve had some issues following that policy,” said Commissioner Liz Hausmann. “I’m not sure how this (change) tightens it up.”
The current county policy prohibits commissioners from using police for transportation. But it allows them to request protection – including a police driver – if they face a threat to their safety documented by a police report.
The discussion comes just weeks after an Atlanta Journal-Constitution investigation found on-duty police gave commissioners at least 79 rides to the airport, concerts and other public events in recent years. But the board members didn’t file police reports, in violation of their own rules.
The AJC investigation found evidence the rides are still more about convenient transportation than protection for commissioners.
Jones has said the current rule “may be a good political policy, but it’s not a good public safety policy.” She’s said commissioners face regular threats from angry or disturbed people and that she needs a more flexible policy to protect them.
At Wednesday’s commission meeting police, Capt. Brian Casal said altering the policy gives the chief more discretion.
“Filing a police report for each request (for police protection) is not unreasonable,” Casal said. “But, at the same time, is it necessary?”
Some taxpayers say it is. They say, if commissioners feel threatened enough to request a ride from police officers, they should file a police report to justify the request. Short of that, they say, the practice appears to be an abuse of taxpayer resources.
In response to issues raised by the newspaper, Pitts introduced his resolution, giving commissioners the option of reporting threats orally or in writing. As in the past, the police department would evaluate threats and determine if commissioners need protection. The proposed policy would require the department to keep records of requests for protection.
Some commissioners said the recent scrutiny is unfair and a waste of time.
“We can’t continue to devote the valuable time of this board to non-issues,” Commissioner Emma Darnell said.
Darnell and Commissioner Bill Edwards voted for the rule requiring police reports when it was approved 10 years ago. Edwards said the rule was approved at a time when one commissioner was abusing the use of police drivers. But he said the rule is no longer needed because commissioners no longer abuse the practice.
Chairman John Eaves asked the county staff to research how other local governments – perhaps even some outside metro Atlanta – handle police protection and transportation of public officials. Commissioners tabled the issue to give the staff time to gather the information.
The AJC found Cobb and Gwinnett counties do not provide police drivers for elected officials. The City of Atlanta spent $421,024 last year for full-time police protection of Mayor Kasim Reed, including police drivers. DeKalb County spends a little less than $125,000 a year on similar protection for interim CEO Lee May.
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