Nolan English
Candidate for Atlanta mayor
Website: http://nolanenglish.org/
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What immediate actions will you take as mayor to curb the violent crime occurring in the City of Atlanta?
Should I receive the blessing of the people to serve as their mayor, the immediate actions I will take to curb the violent crime would be to allocate all necessary resources in the re-opening of the Atlanta City Jail (new name- not “Detention Center”) and securing of the Talent, Technology and Tactics needed to curb violence quickly.
Talent: APD needs approximately 750 new officers. Since these roles have been slow to be filled by civilians, I would reserve 150 of those slots for Atlanta Citizens that may decide to become a member of the Police Force. The remaining 600 slots would be offered to retiring Military Police and Intelligence Officers from posts nearest to Atlanta, primarily Fort Benning. These men & women would typically fall in the age range of 37-40 and would ready hit the ground running on their second career.
Each APD Officer would be assigned a post rather than the “Roaming Officer” that we see today. The Officer would only leave that post when properly relieved or if required their service (e.g., crime in progress, emergency, etc.). In the event of the latter, Reserved Officers would be dispatched to secure a presence at the vacated post. This form of policing would quickly end much of the “hit & run” type of crimes that we see today as it would allow our Officers the ability to close-down ranks on a situation quickly, secure a parameter without compromising our positions.
Technology: Our city will use technology like Shot Spotter® to inform us of crimes in progress in real-time.
Tactics: There will be a huge and immediate investment in the Atlanta Crime stoppers program to incentivize the community efforts in assisting Police with crimes. The current rate of reward is far too low for someone to risk coming forward with tips and information.
Each Citizen of Atlanta would be encouraged to download the Citizen® App to inform and be informed of crimes in our city.
Note: “Tactics” also includes the use of the proper Tactical Equipment to safely extract violent criminals from the population with minimal risk to life and property.
Our Officers will OWN the day.
Our Officers will OWN the night…not the criminals.
Will you make affordable housing a priority of your administration and continue the commitment made by Mayor Bottoms to invest $1 billion in the effort by 2026?
Housing that is “affordable” tends to be deemed unsafe as it pertains to the inner-city. After we have secured everything within the parameter by means, the next step is the establishment of immediate and affordable housing through Tiny House initiatives as well as reviving blighted properties. Not only will we establish affordable housing, but we will also take it steps further and eradicate homelessness in our city. This is also an act of stewardship, as it costs taxpayers $40K-80K per year in allow these individual to live in various states of homelessness.
Will transit on the Atlanta BeltLine corridor be a top priority and what will your administration do to fast-track it?
Transit on the Atlanta Beltline will be a priority; However, it will not be a TOP priority. First, we must look at expanding our existing modes of transportation for effectiveness and efficiency. We wouldn’t want to make the same mistake as we did with the streetcar. What a catastrophic mismanagement of taxpayer dollars.
Will your administration recommit to combatting climate change and what are some steps you will take to get businesses and residents onboard?
This administration will recommit to combatting climate change by auditing pollution reducing companies quarterly. The planting and protection of trees is vital to our physical and mental health.
How will your administration address the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic?
Beyond Mask Mandates, the only true way to address the ongoing Covid pandemic is from the top down. This pandemic as to be dealt with on the federal level. As the mayor a major city, I would begin a coalition of all mayors of major cities to push for all mandates deemed appropriate to stop the spread of the disease.