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City councils

Atlanta Mayor's Race Heats Up Over Public Safety and Police Force Expansion

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

As Atlanta grapples with a rising crime rate, the city's mayoral candidates are focused on public safety and the recruitment and retention of police officers. Incumbent Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and challenger Felicia Moore, the president of the Atlanta City Council, are at odds over the pace of police force expansion. In her State of the City address, Bottoms pledged to add 250 officers within a year, while Moore estimates that 100 to 150 officers could be hired in the same timeframe.

Key Takeaways:

  • Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has pledged to add 250 police officers to the Atlanta Police Department within a year, a goal that candidate Felicia Moore has labeled "unrealistic".
  • Moore estimates that 100 to 150 officers could be hired in the same timeframe, citing a more conservative approach to recruitment and retention.
  • Moore claims to have spoken with APD officers who have left the department due to morale issues and lack of trust in leadership, but who expressed a willingness to return if she is elected.
  • Bottoms notes that she has proposed and obtained approval for the highest pay raise in Atlanta's history for police officers, in an effort to boost officer retention and morale.
  • Both candidates agree that public safety is a top priority in the mayoral election, with Bottoms vowing not to "take a backseat to any elected official" when it comes to supporting police officers.

Statistics:

  • 250: The number of police officers that Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has pledged to hire within a year.
  • 100-150: The estimated number of police officers that candidate Felicia Moore believes can be hired in the same timeframe.
  • 1 year: The timeframe within which Mayor Bottoms has pledged to add 250 officers to the Atlanta Police Department.
  • 100%: The suggested increase in pay for police officers approved by Mayor Bottoms, the largest in Atlanta's history.

Sources:

  • Atlanta Mayor's Office - State of the City address by Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms (no date provided)
  • Atlanta Journal-Constitution - Felicia Moore questions Bottoms' police hiring pledge (30 Mar 2023)
  • Atlanta City Council - Statement by President Felicia Moore (23 Feb 2023)

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