Atlanta lawmakers will vote on Monday whether or not to proceed with the controversial plan of building a massive training center for public safety, nicknamed “Cop City” (by opponents).
The Atlanta City Council is voting on whether or not to allocate $30,000,000 to build the 90-million-dollar, 85 acre facility that will train police, firefighters, and emergency responders.
After years of protests, the vote came after fierce opposition by protesters who feared that the proposed campus would negatively impact the environment or be used by the police to “practice Urban Warfare.”
Officers shot and killed a 26-year old environmental activist in January as workers from several agencies tried to clean up the site. According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Manuel Esteban Paez Teran (also known as Tortuguita) shot first at officers without warning and wounded a state trooper.
A vigil held in Atlanta to honor the activist who was killed resulted in damage to property and multiple arrests.
Officials have moved City Hall services online, and temporarily banned liquids, aerosols or gels as well as creams and pastes. This is due to “increased security concerns.”
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens stated that if the vote is in favor, taxpayers would pay less money than what was previously agreed. The legislation, if passed, would allow the city of Atlanta to consolidate the multiple leases that it pays for “suboptimal training facilities” that firefighters and police use separately. Dickens’ office stated in a press release that such a move could save the city up to $200,000 per year or $6 million for 30 years.
The Atlanta Police Foundation (the nonprofit organization that is spearheading this project) has announced it will raise the remaining funds needed for construction privately through corporate and philanthropic donations.
Atlanta Police Foundation stated that the proposed project would include creating a “mock-city” for police and firefighters trainees, as well as a shooting range, and an emergency vehicle operation course. This would be the first time for the fire and police rescue departments.
The group stated that the new campus was necessary because the current training facilities do not “meet the training requirements required by a major city law enforcement agency”, which, it claimed, ultimately exacerbates morale and recruitment issues.
The project would build on land owned by the city of Atlanta in DeKalb County. It is located around Intrenchment Creek, and the South River Forest Basin.
This land was known as The Old Atlanta Prison Farm where prisoners worked in poor conditions for most of the 20th Century. Atlanta Police Foundation says it is the only area owned by the city large enough to accommodate such a project.
The group stated that it would not need to remove acres of trees, as the parcel of land targeted, which was cleared decades earlier, currently has no significant tree cover. It said that the tree cover, which does exist, is dominated by invasive plants.
The Atlanta Police Foundation has pledged to replace every hardwood tree that is destroyed during construction with 100 new trees. It added that nearly 300 acres would be preserved for green space, parks and trails.
Atlanta City Council approved the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center for the first time in 2021 after anti-police protests. The city officials claimed that the new center was essential to reforms residents were demanding. However, protesters are adamantly against it.
