After a weekend with 19 shootings and six killed across the city, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announced Phase II of her crackdown nuisance properties, which often harbor illicit activities and provide some safe haven to violent criminals. (Note: Half of the shootings this past weekend occurred between 1:00 and 4:00 am. Alcohol and the middle of the night are not a good combination.)
“Strengthening the City’s laws on nuisance properties gives us the ability to address businesses involved in continued violent crime incidents,” said Bottoms.
The legislation gives the city more power in combatting blight and properties that are frequently connected to crime. Officially, the city can now declare properties contributing to the commission of violent conduct a public nuisance. The city will provide the owner of the property with documentation of crime occurring on the property and the owner must “abate the nuisance” or else “the City will take action” and the Municipal Court may assess the owner for costs. It is not clear in the announcement from the mayor what “will take action” means and somewhat surprising that this was not already in the code.
“This legislation gives us a new tool to fight crime and improve the quality of life for all Atlantans A vibrant nightlife is a feature of any great city,” said District 2 Councilmember Amir Farokhi. “But it shouldn’t come at the cost of our safety. Where we see repeated incidents of violence at specific establishments, we must act. Through this bill we can swiftly revoke liquor licenses and effectively shut down businesses that aren’t operating peacefully.”
Phase I of the plan targeted restaurants that are actually operating as bars and clubs, a different level of registration and one that comes with additional fees and responsibility. Restaurants must derive at least 50 percent of their revenue from food and beverages in prepared meals. Businesses that cannot provide a statement from an accountant saying so face a revocation of their liquor license upon the first violation. Phase I may feel like nibbling at the edges but as noted at the top, alcohol is often a frequent part of the story in these violent incidents.
Phase II could possibly make a real dent in gang hang-outs or abandoned homes that have become drug dealing locations or other activities. The question now is police capacity to ensure enforcement.
After the weekend’s violence, Bottoms reiterated her commitment to reducing crime and working with other city leaders to improve the situation, which has spiraled over the last year. Now that she is not worried about re-election, perhaps Mayor Bottoms will be more aggressive in these last few months.
“Atlantans deserve and expect a safe community. As our Administration continues to put considerable resources towards ending this COVID crime wave, the Anti-Violence Advisory Committee will begin work this week to make additional recommendations to help improve public safety throughout our city.”
