Neighborhood advocates say official confirmation that popular Atlanta Police Maj. Khirus Williams will not be returning as Zone 5 commander re-opens old wounds between community leaders and the APD.
Police Chief George Turner revealed late Wednesday that Maj. Christopher Leighty, a former Marine gunnery sergeant and 21-year APD veteran, will replace Williams. The new Zone 5 commander will accompany the chief Thursday morning to a breakfast sponsored by the Atlanta Hotel Council, the APD announced in a statement.
A tougher audience awaits.
"[Turner] used the demotion of Maj. Williams to eliminate any interaction between the APD and the neighborhoods," said Rick Day, public safety chair of the Midtown Neighbors' Association. He accused the chief of "playing politics with policing."
Kathy Boehmer, public safety chair for the Home Park Neighborhood Improvement Association near Georgia Tech, said she has an "open mind" about Leighty but is "disillusioned" with the way Williams' departure was handled.
"They [Mayor Kasim Reed and Turner] completely ignored us," Boehmer said. "I'm really cynical now."
An APD spokesman did not return calls seeking comment Wednesday night.
Williams' replacement rose from patrol officer to the Red Dog Unit to the SWAT team, eventually commanding the bomb squad. Leighty was promoted to major in January 2010, serving as commander of the specialized crime fighting units.
Zone 5's new top cop will have little room for error, Boehmer said.
"He's got huge shoes to fill," she said. "Every step, every move is going to be closely watched. [Williams] had done so much for the APD's image."
Williams recently told supporters via email he was "forced into retirement" after leaking a proposed restructuring he said would eliminate community-oriented policing. Once considered a rising star within the department, the 26-year APD veteran was mentioned as a candidate to replace former Atlanta Police Chief Richard Pennington after his retirement in 2010.
Williams hasn't commented since the email's release. Turner, meanwhile, has not discussed his decision to replace the former Zone 5 commander but did release a statement refuting Williams' claim that community policing was being de-emphasized.
Williams' independence likely cost him, Midtown business consultant Steve Brodie told the AJC.
"Khirus has a history of saying it like it is," Brodie said recently.
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