There were four notable things to take from Atlanta Police Chief Richard Pennington’s press conference today about the Sept. 10 raid at Atlanta Eagle:
Which begs the following questions:
The Libertarian Party of Atlanta (!) is calling for Mayor Shirley Franklin to publicly apologize and Atlanta Police Chief Richard Pennington to resign over the APD’s Thursday night raid on popular gay bar The Eagle. The chapter says the APD “acted in a manner that would have been common in a different age” during the controversial bust and should “[use] their officers to protect the citizens of Atlanta, not [raid] a private club containing a group of consenting adults.”
From a Libertarian Party press release:
THE LIBERTARIAN PARTY OF ATLANTA DECRIES THE ACTIONS OF THE ATLANTA POLICE DEPARTMENT RAIDING THE EAGLE.
ATLANTA – The Libertarian Party of Atlanta is deeply disturbed by the actions of the Atlanta Police Department (APD) when they raided popular Atlanta gay bar, The Eagle on September 10th. . In June 2009 according to statistics published by the APD, 331 crimes against persons were committed and there were 3,379 crimes against a property reported. The APD should be using their officers to protect the citizens of Atlanta, not raiding a private club containing a group of consenting adults.
The government has no right to determine what is a permissible activity within a private space between consenting adults. The Atlanta Police acted in a manner that would have been common in a different age. The Libertarian Party of Atlanta believes that all individuals, regardless of sexual orientation, preference or gender identity, deserve to be treated respectfully by the government and its agents.
It is to this end that we call for a public apology from Mayor Franklin and the resignation of Chief Pennington for this egregious abuse of government power and the rights of individuals.
After a July 25th weekend marked by the carjacking of a City Councilman, the killing of a pro boxer and the shooting of an Edgewood resident, Atlanta Police Chief Richard Pennington was once again criticized for his noticeable absence.
“At this particular time, I do not know.”
— An Atlanta Police Department spokesman tells CBS Atlanta on July 29 he didn’t know the chief’s whereabouts.
“I was surprised to watch a recent press conference regarding crimes near the [Georgia Tech] and see the Atlanta Police Department represented by a lieutenant and a sergeant. Where was the chief? Leadership matters, and he hasn’t mattered. His absence has been an issue.”
— Former Atlanta Deputy Chief Lou Arcangeli in a July 30 AJC article.
““I want the critics to know that I have not ‘checked out.’”
— Pennington, who says he was at a mandatory training conference in Virginia during the crimes, at a July 30 press conference.
Mayor Franklin at yesterday's press conference.
Mayor Shirley Franklin and Atlanta Police Chief Richard Pennington’s press conference yesterday was a long and quizzical event filled mostly with testy questions about the chief’s recent whereabouts.
But in addition to those questions about Atlanta’s Houdini, the mayor said she wanted to talk about “solutions” and the city’s strategy to improve its piss-poor public safety. That strategy involves more cops on the street, a crackdown on gang activity, and an engaged community.
In the interest of public engagement and transparency, we’ve decided to post Franklin’s statement in full.
After the jump, what Franklin’s administration plans to do in her remaining months in office to prevent the killings, carjackings, burglaries and other ills.
(Photo by Joeff Davis)
Who knew train wrecks could happen indoors?
Mayor Shirley Franklin and Atlanta Police Chief Richard Pennington today faced heated questions from reporters on how the city plans to address residents’ growing concerns about public safety.
The focus this morning was on Pennington, who spoke only briefly and appeared downtrodden throughout the press conference. The chief’s been criticized for maintaining a low profile, especially after a recent spurt of crimes in the city that included the killing of a pro boxer, the carjacking of a councilman, and the shooting of a man walking into his girlfriend’s house with groceries. Today was the first anyone’s heard from him on the recent rash of crimes. (He said he was attending mandatory “police leadership training” in Virginia over the weekend.)
Reporters asked the chief — who will be looking for a new job once the mayor’s term ends in January — if he has the wherewithal to address the crime issue.
“I have not ‘checked out,’” Pennington said. “I will continue to work hard until [Franklin] leaves.”
Franklin — who got testy with the press many times throughout the conference — voiced unwavering support for Pennington, whom she said has helped “reform” the Atlanta department and the New Orleans Police Department, where he formerly worked.
“I’m proud of his leadership,” she said. “I’m proud of his integrity.”
She added, however, that one crime is “one crime too many” — and that the city could do more.
Thanks to some Obamabucks from Washington, D.C., Atlanta residents could see more police officers patrolling the streets — possibly this fall.
Vice President Joe Biden today announced $1 billion in economic stimulus funds to hire 4,700 police officers in cities across the country. The funds will be administered through the U.S. Justice Department’s Community Oriented Policing Services, or COPS, program.
Atlanta’s set to receive $11.2 million of that loot — enough to hire 50 police officers. (You can view a PDF of Atlanta’s award letter here.)
That’s a far cry from the 200 officers Mayor Shirley Franklin had hoped for earlier this year. But after a weekend of high-profile shootings, killings and carjackings, it’s good news for a city that looks safer on paper than it feels on the streets.
In a statement about the funding, Atlanta Deputy Chief George Turner said:
…the goal is to have a recruit class this fall with the 50 new recruits. Once the officers are trained they will be dispatched into the community. The police department is proud and happy to add 50 new officers to the force, said Chief Turner. All the positions awarded under the grant must be used to initiate or enhance community policing in the City of Atlanta.
There’s a catch, however.
Everyone wants to know! Quel scandale!
We hope our fellow freedom-loving friends across the Atlantic will be enchanted by the depiction of our grand city. Crime, bum bots, and hella guns. Creative Loafing also plays a role. “Jay-sohn,” the civilian patroller interviewed in the report, is CL’s senior art director. Hat tip to SpaceyG for finding the video.
The Atlanta City Council has decided that Police Chief Richard Pennington must comply with an oversight committee’s request to release documents related to the police shootings of Kathryn Johnston and Pierre George.
According to an Atlanta City Council spokesman, the Committee on Council:
Issued a subpoena at the request of the Citizen Review Board to compel Atlanta Police Chief Richard Pennington to produce requested documents as well as the criminal investigation file regarding the police shooting of Kathryn Johnston.
Issued a subpoena at the request of the Citizen Review Board to compel Atlanta Police Chief Richard Pennington to produce requested documents as well as the criminal investigation file regarding the police shooting of Pierre George.
UPDATED: Cristina Beamud, executive director of the Atlanta Citizen Review Board, tells CL:
“On behalf of the board, we’re very pleased. And we thank the Committee on Council and, most importantly, Chair Felicia Moore for her support on this issue. The public still has a lot of questions about what went wrong, and what we can do to make sure [what happened], or something similar, doesn’t happen again. And we don’t think there have been enough answers if people are still asking those questions…It’s very difficult to give constructive criticism unless you know what caused it and how it can be prevented.”
Atlanta City Councilwoman Anne Fauver’s unexpected exit from the District 6 race yesterday took nearly everyone in the politically active and tight-knit neighborhoods she serves by surprise.
In a Tuesday interview with CL, Fauver said the decision, which she’s wrestled with for the last two months, largely came down to two things: frustration with city politics and the desire to try something new.
“[Atlanta] once had a strong council and a weak mayor,” Fauver said. “That’s been reversed. That can be very frustrating because council is supposed to determine policy…As of now, we don’t.”
Fauver added that it’s difficult to juggle a career and serve in City Hall. The job of a councilmember, which pays $39,000 a year and is supposed to be a part-time gig, is more like a round-the-clock position.
“It’s four years,” she said, referring to another term. “Four years on top of eight years is a little bit longer than I want to do it. I’m frankly looking forward to a new challenge and I don’t know what that will be.”
Richard Pennington
UPDATE: Pennington says he hasn’t been contacted for the position. The White House declines to comment. We clasp our hands and pray Atlanta’s favorite soul patch — he’s after the jump below — is not named the next DEA chief.
CBS Atlanta reports that Atlanta Police Chief Richard Pennington is being eyed to head the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. Or maybe not?
A [APD] spokesperson says the department has not been informed of this information and they could not comment.
[CBS Atlanta reporter Joanna Massee] e-mailed Mayor Shirley Franklin to see if she was aware Pennington was being considered for a position at the DEA. A spokesperson for the mayor said, “While Mayor Franklin is unaware of the opportunity in your email she thinks, ‘Chief Pennington is a terrific and highly effective law enforcement official and who has served Atlanta with distinction.’”
Pennington sent an email to CBS Atlanta and it said, “I have no knowledge that I’m being considered for any federal law enforcement position. Furthermore, I have not been contacted by anyone in Washington.”
New Orleans media outlets are abuzz about the rumor. Pennington was the city’s former police superintendent before heading to Atlanta. Eager to put a stop to all the madness, CL contacted its fictitious high-level sources at the federal agency. Turns out there’s been some confusion.
Right as Gov. Sonny Perdue announced there wouldn’t be a special session to try to negotiate the state’s budget, Mayor Shirley Franklin put forth her requests for the city’s 2008 budget proposal of $645.3 million.
According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the mayor has asked for, among other things, money to hire 50 more police officers.
Her request is a sharp turn from her comments at a press conference last week, where she vigorously backed police Chief Richard Pennington’s leadership of the department and denied the need for more officers. For more details on Franklin’s staunch support of Pennington, read CL Senior Editor John Sugg’s column that hits streets (and the Web) May 10.
City Council will begin the debate over the budget this week and welcomes the public’s input. Interested individuals can voice their opinions May 10 at the Civic Center at 7 p.m. and May 17 at City Hall at 7 p.m.
