A group of city employees – including police officers and firemen – called on the Atlanta City Council today to open an investigation into the cash payouts given to officials for unused sick and vacation time. Nine employees received cash payouts, the most notable being Atlanta Police Chief George Turner, who received $79,000 last year for 700 hours of unused vacation time. Councilman C.T. Martin introduced legislation at the meeting to freeze any additional cash payouts, while council members discuss and review policy on the matter.
Atlanta City Councilmember Natalyn Archibong sponsored a resolution requesting U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to use his influence to impress upon local police agencies the need for the installation of cameras in their vehicles. The measure was approved unanimously Monday by the full council. “Across the country stories have been reported about alleged police misconduct,” Archibong said. “Dashboard cam videos often play an important role in documenting interactions between law enforcement and citizens.” The resolution comes as unrest continues in Ferguson, Missouri, where unarmed teenager Michael Brown was shot by a police officer. It was noted that none of Ferguson’s police cars have cameras.
The council also went into a long executive session to discuss the firing of 13 Atlanta Watershed Department employees last week following an investigation of theft and policy issues.
