Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens will unveil a new police precinct in Buckhead at a press conference planned for Thursday.
The police precinct will be located at One Buckhead Plaza, which sits at the intersection of Peachtree and West Paces Ferry roads.
“We started to work on Day One, addressing the issue of crime in our city,” Dickens said Wednesday morning at the Georgia Chamber’s annual Eggs & Issues Breakfast, which was held this year at the Fox Theatre in Midtown.
“This is a concern of all of ours,” he said. “And while some may want to use this to break us apart, we know that as a city, we are stronger together. That’s why we will be unveiling a new police precinct in Buckhead tomorrow.”
The Atlanta Police Department had first announced plans for the new precinct last September. At that time, Police Chief Rodney Bryant said it should be fully operational by summer 2022 with a minimum of 24 officers.
Bryant also previously said that the precinct will focus on traffic-related calls, helping to free up other police officers to address high priority calls and investigations.
Zone 2, the police zone that covers neighborhoods including Buckhead, has its main precinct on Maple Drive in Buckhead. There’s also a mini precinct at Lenox Square mall.
Crime issues are central to an effort for Buckhead to break off from Atlanta and form its own city. Legislation that could carve a path for the proposed “Buckhead City” is being considered at this year’s Georgia General Assembly.
But Dickens is calling for Atlanta to stay united. His crime reduction plan includes hiring 250 police officers in his first year.
“Atlanta’s crime issues are not just ours alone,” Dickens said Wednesday. “We will address it from all sides, but we will pay particular attention to the root causes of crime.”