Hundreds of people packed into Atlanta City Hall to speak out against building a controversial $90 million public safety training center in the South River Forest during a marathon council meeting on Monday.
Nearly 300 people from Metro Atlanta urged council members to deny taxpayer money be used to fund construction of the training center, dubbed “Cop City” by opponents. Speaker after speaker said taxpayer money would be better spent on issues such as addressing the city’s affordable housing crisis, funding education and building better transportation projects.
Despite more than seven hours of opposition, legislation to approve $30 million in public funds for the training center was introduced by Councilmember Dustin Hillis for a future vote by the council. The legislation would also authorize Mayor Andre Dickens to enter into a leaseback agreement for the training center with the Atlanta Police Foundation.
The proposed ordinance by Hillis is supported by Councilmembers Byron Amos, Marci Collier Overstreet, Howard Shook, Matt Westmoreland and Mary Norwood. The city funds would be used to “to support the continued construction of and improvements to the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center.” Hillis also proposed an additional $1 million be used to build a gymnasium on the site.
The $30 million would come from the city’s 2023 uncommitted general fund balance; the $1 million from public safety impact fees.
Hillis said in a text message after the meeting the $30 million has been the city’s portion of building the training center since its approval in 2021.
“It will eventually be repaid, such as through a general obligation bond, although the exact mechanism hasn’t been identified yet,” he said.
The nonprofit Atlanta Police Foundation is to raise the remaining $60 million in private and corporate dollars needed to build the training center.
Activists vow to ‘Stop Cop City’
Long lines of people chanted “Stop Cop City!” as they waited to enter the council chambers before the 1 p.m. meeting following a rally outside City Hall. Not everyone could fit into the chamber due to fire safety regulations, so they filled the City Hall Atrium. Their chants echoed loud enough to be heard by council members inside the chamber.
No one spoke in favor of the public safety training center. Many people chided the council for wanting to spend millions of dollars on police when the city is known for having the worst income inequality in the nation.
On Jan. 18, Manuel “Tortuguita” Teran, 26, was shot and killed during a confrontation with law enforcement clearing the property, bringing national and international attention to “Cop City.” Some violent protests following Teran’s killing have resulted in dozens of arrests of activists from out-of-state and other countries who now face charges including domestic terrorism.
Micah Herskind, a journalist and policy associate at the Southern Center for Human Rights, said the hundreds of people who showed up at City Hall to speak out against the multimillion-dollar public safety training center are part of a two-year grassroots movement. The vast majority of those taking time out of their day to address the council are from metro Atlanta, Herskind said.
“If you do decide to vote for the … funding, know that you are not standing with the community,” Herskind said.
“This doesn’t need to go on any longer. You can stop it,” Herskind said. “You can be brave. You can stand up to the Atlanta Police Foundation. You can make a difference. Stop Cop City. Don’t support this funding.”
This is a developing story. Check back for more updates.