“Atlanta will be a national model for police reform with the most progressive training and curriculum in the country.”- Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens
I’m a social liberal and a fiscal conservative. When I was on the Peachtree City Planning Commission, that philosophy guided my decisions. Likewise, I did the same when I was the GOP chair of a Middle Georgia county commission. And when I speak to Coweta County elected officials, I have cost/benefit in mind. And I respect the politicians of both parties that I know in Newnan who think that way.
I evaluate all local issues within that framework and have started to look at the “cop city” controversy from that standpoint. “Cop City” is the opposition’s label for the city of Atlanta’s public safety training center project intended to train its law enforcement officers and firefighters via a designated campus.
On a recent 11-4 vote, the Atlanta City Council designated $31 million upfront in city funds for the building of a fire and police training facility on 85 acres of land. The city will also make annual $1.2 million payments over 30 years, with the rest of the $90 million project cost to come from outside sources. An adjoining 265 acres was designated as green space. The entire area will be owned by the city.
Credit: contributed
Credit: contributed
When I look at the City Council, and I have attended their meetings, I see many progressive voices. The council endorsed Medicaid expansion and Medicare for All last year, which I helped introduce to them via Physicians for a National Health Program (I am on their state Steering Committee).
I do not see in them the reactionary forces that are in control of our state’s current GOP, our General Assembly and governor’s office. So, why did the City Council approve this project?
Supporters have stated that our law enforcement staff need better training. As someone who has repeatedly spoken out about poorly trained officers committing unforgivable errors, sometimes leading to unwarranted deaths, I would agree. And we should all want better training for that cohort, regardless of our party affiliation. Plus, we must recruit better candidates who see beyond color.
Still, I am generally in opposition to police advocacy groups. My opinion is that police unions act more like governmentally affiliated gangs -- intent on protecting their members, regardless of the facts. Therefore, I am 100% against qualified immunity for law enforcement. No one should be above the law.
However, the Atlanta Police Foundation has made valid arguments regarding the need for this campus. They say it will “improve morale, retention, recruitment and training for APD and AFR professionals and ensure that Atlanta attracts and motivates those most highly committed to careers.” That is a reasonable, laudable goal -- one all of us should support, regardless of our political affiliation. Frankly, it is very hard to recruit and retain the high-quality officers that we all desire. This campus should help in this endeavor.
The Foundation also states that the National Center for Civil and Human Rights will be involved in police sensitivity training programs. That goal is also something I endorse, as should any progressive-thinking person.
Opponents assert that the facility is a negative from an ecological standpoint. But so is any development of any sort. The key is cost-benefit analysis. Is the cost to the environment worth the social benefits that are generated? It appears to me that they are.
One last note: I have avoided here addressing the horrible shooting of an environmental activist that took place. And the recent arrest of the people raising bail money for the anti-training center activists who have been arrested.
Those are separate issues from the objective need for the Atlanta public safety training center project. However, based on what I have read, I strongly question the actions of the police and others regarding these individuals. Hopefully, the truth will come out over the long run and action taken against any government officials who may have overstepped their authority and/or committed unlawful acts.
Jack Bernard, a former health care executive, was the first director of health planning for Georgia. He’s a former Republican chairman of the Jasper County Commission.
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