Fulton revises policy on police drivers
The Fulton Board of Commissioners on Wednesday approved a proposal that could make it easier for elected officials to get rides from on-duty police officers.
By a vote of 5-0, commissioners eliminated a rule that requires them to file police reports demonstrating a threat to their safety to justify police protection, which usually includes a police driver.
The board approved the requirement 10 years ago amid a public backlash over reports that some of commissioners routinely used police officers to taxi them around town. A recent Atlanta Journal-Constitution investigation found commissioners have been ignoring the rule for years.
The investigation found commissioners used police drivers at least 79 times in recent years but didn’t file any police reports documenting threats. The newspaper found evidence that the police rides are more about convenient transportation than protection.
Commissioners say they face legitimate threats to their safety. They say the new policy will give Police Chief Cassandra Jones the flexibility she needs to protect them.
Opponents of the new policy say, if the threats are legitimate, commissioners should file police reports to prove it.
Commissioner Robb Pitts has not used police drivers himself, but proposed the new policy eliminating the police report requirement to give the chief more flexibility. He said the police chief would still need to assess threats to commissioners before providing them a police driver. And he said the chief would still be required to maintain a record of such events.
About the Author
David Wickert writes about the state budget, finance and voting issues. Previously, he covered local government and politics in Gwinnett and Fulton counties. Before moving to Atlanta, he worked at newspapers in Illinois, Tennessee, Virginia and Washington.
