The City Hall Vigil & Rally planned for tomorrow, Wednesday January 12th is canceled due to concerns over the weather. It will be rescheduled so please stay tuned!

Atlantans Together & Safe Atlanta for Everyone (SAFE) are holding a vigil and rally next Wednesday, Jan 12th from 6:30pm – 7:30pm on the steps of City Hall (Mitchell Street entrance). The vigil will be remembering those lost to violent crime in 2010. After a prayer service & moment of silence, we will rally for reduced crime in 2011 & beyond by reminding City Hall to address the root causes of crime in our city.

We believe that Mayor Reed has done a good job in his first year addressing our public safety infrastructure and the police department. However, it does not stop there. We will be reminding him and other city leaders that we need bold, visionary leadership in addressing crime at its root – and for ALL neighborhoods of Atlanta.

WHO:  Atlantans Together and Safe Atlanta For Everyone (SAFE)

WHAT:  A vigil for crime victims in 2010 and a call for bold leadership to reduce crime in 2011

WHERE:  Steps of City Hall (55 Trinity Ave SW), Mitchell Street side

WHEN:  Wednesday, January 12, 2011, 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

WHY:  The rally is an opportunity for all Atlantans to stand together, from all neighborhoods, and remind City Hall that crime in unacceptable in any part of the city. We are asking City Hall to address the root causes of crime and tackle it at its most fundamental levels.

I hope you will be able to attend. Please spread the word.

FACEBOOK INVITE: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=116702131734568

Knowing Mayor Reed’s job isn’t easy is no excuse not to hold him to it. It’s true he already boasts an impressive shortlist of first-year accomplishments for which he should be praised.

But he seems to have neglected his most important campaign promise, one that now, unfortunately, defines the difference between Reed the candidate and Reed the mayor.

As a candidate, Reed was quick to attend Atlantans Together Against Crime rallies and proclaim that he’d be vigilant in fighting for better public safety. Even in his inaugural address, he said:

I would not be satisfying my responsibility as your Mayor without also addressing the root cause of crime… The foundation of my campaign was built on my promise to attack crime in this City. The foundation of my administration shall be built on my fulfillment of that promise.

With the 86th murder of 2010 occurring in Virginia Highlands just a week ago, Atlanta residents have reason to recall that promise and wonder what happened to it. The “Highlands” is not where one would expect someone to be gunned down outside his apartment. Shamefully, there are parts of the city where crime is prevalent, ignored in the news, and even “expected to some degree. The truth is, such violence should be unacceptable in any Atlanta neighborhood.

Thus far, Reed’s fulfillment of his promise has consisted of appointing George Turner as Chief of Police and bolstering the APD with 100 new officers and additional funding. Beyond those, the mayor has been remarkably silent. They’re accomplishments in their own right, but the police department merely manages a symptom (and they’re not perfect). Where then, exactly, is the mayor addressing the root causes of crime?

Even reopening and transforming Atlanta’s recreation centers into Centers of Hope does not inherently address the root of the problem. It must be connected to a broader vision in order to be an effective tool in deterring crime. Once they’re open, then what?

What Atlanta needs is a comprehensive plan that reaches beyond the APD to reduce crime. And we Atlantans need to unite behind that plan and keep Reed accountable.

A comprehensive approach that addresses the root causes of crime looks more like:

• Acknowledging the link between low graduation rates and crime and stepping in on Atlanta Public Schools.
• Advocating for mental health, drug and alcohol abuse rehabilitation programs.
• Creating jobs and stability to eliminate poverty.
• Defining “Community Policing” in a way that everyone understands rather than limiting it to a separate “Community Policing Unit” for select officers.
• Getting local business buy-in and corporate assistance to help fund critical social programs that contribute to a safer Atlanta, including recidivism.
• Fully staffing the 911 call center that has had “30 open positions,” seemingly, for years.
• Working to tune up the judicial system, including the juvenile justice system, and demanding more back-up from Fulton D.A. Paul Howard.
• Looking to other cities and emulating successful, if unorthodox, approaches (even Newark, NJ has shown successful use of cameras and gun shot detectors to reduce murders by 40%. Having even worked with the ACLU to address community privacy concerns.).

It’s understood that Mayor Reed does not have direct jurisdiction over the schools nor the courts, but if there’s one person best positioned to reach out and build coalitions, it’s the Mayor of Atlanta. Such a coalition, a “Coalition of Influencers” so-to-speak, could effect change based on mutual interest, common goals, and sound leadership.

Reed has demonstrated such leadership with the Georgia Legislature. Why not bring that a little closer to home? When violent crime is on the rise and Atlanta gets four listings in “America’s 25 Most Dangerous Neighborhoods,” there’s no time like the present.

Mayor Reed isn’t alone in his shortsightedness. We Atlantans, myself included, haven’t exactly sustained unity in holding him accountable. Atlanta’s diverse communities need a renewed commitment to come together across neighborhood boundaries.

There are parts of Atlanta where violent crime is par for the course and accepted as status quo. When a son, daughter, store clerk, or passerby is robbed, shot, and killed here, they don’t get 50 police officers showing up to canvass their neighborhood. They’d be lucky if it even made the evening news.

So let’s be honest, we hold a “crime awareness” rally in Virginia Highland it’s because we’re scared and pissed that violence has seeped into our neighborhood. Why? Because it’s not something we expect.are used to nor is it something we expect. When violence the relatively more affluent parts of town, it prompts us to take notice of what affects other parts of our city on a daily basis.

What we need to realize, as a community collective and one serious about reducing crime, is that when a store clerk in Bankhead is safe, then we’re all safe.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m a sucker for a good rally. The collective chorus of Atlanta citizenry has the power to hold Mayor Reed to his word. But the place for that is not in the Highlands; it is at City Hall. And the time is very, very soon.

If you are interested in doing just that, I ask you to RSVP to me directly as I pull together the date: kyle@atlantanstogether.org.

Many people have contacted me regarding my work on the Police Chief Search Committee and Mayor Reed’s appointment of George Turner to Atlanta’s Police Chief. This is my statement:

Mayor Reed obviously picked who he wanted to pick. That’s his prerogative.

No, George Turner was not one of the three people recommended by the Police Chief Search Committee but that does not make him a “bad” candidate for the job. He did, in fact, still make a competitive short list of 6 names culled from over 30.

In regards to the controversy surrounding the committee, there was obvious miscommunication between the Mayor’s Office and ourselves. I take the Mayor at his word when he says he always wanted five names. I trust he takes me at mine when I say we were always told three.

Mayor Reed has selected George Turner to lead Atlanta’s Police Department and I support both his decision and Chief Turner in that role. With our city’s youth fighting it out at Screen on the Green to store clerks still getting slain in neighborhood supermarkets, it’s time for a bold, comprehensive approach.

We must attend to our city’s youth, increase graduation rates, address poverty and homelessness, and yes, strengthen our public safety infrastructure that includes 911, fire, and the police department.

As Acting Chief, George Turner demonstrated a unique zeal for getting things rolling. I support him in hopes he keep doing so. The time for world class public safety in Atlanta is now. Let’s move forward and work with our city leadership to ensure that happens.

Kyle Keyser
Atlanta resident

I’ve been asked to serve on the search committee for Atlanta’s new police chief. This is an important process for an important position that will absolutely shape the future of Atlanta. I’m honored and privileged to have been asked. And because this is a community that we’ve all created, I want your input.

So I ask… what do you want in the next Chief of Police? What qualities should she or he have? What sort of experience should they ideally have? What would you want the APD to look like in 3-5 years? Or, do you believe there’s a qualified candidate within the APD ranks who everyone should consider? I invite everyone to begin a discussion below.

In the meantime, I will listen, participate, and compile your thoughts to help guide me through the selection process. I will also keep you posted on our progress. It is only the candidate names who I can not reveal – a measure taken to protect them, in light of national candidates whose employers may or may not know they’ve put themselves on the market.

Please note that all comments will be monitored and I will delete anything that is not constructive toward fruitful discussion.

Thank you! Let’s discuss! If you prefer Facebook, go here!

The site will be coming down soon as I look to reorganize Atlantans Together.  As Atlanta moves forward with a new mayor, so will we. The political force that we once were will be transformed into a new entity called, simply, Atlantans Together. It will be a non-profit aimed at keeping Atlantans safe by connecting communities, fostering inter-neighborhood communication, and facilitating civic participation.

I hope Atlantans Together to be a city wide brand that reaches every corner of Atlanta. Together, we will reach every community, connect them, and unite us as a safe, world class city.

Before I take the site down completely, there is some last business to finalize. I’ve been selected to sit on the Selection Committee for the new police chief of Atlanta. As details are released and the committee begins to meet, I hope to facilitate a dialogue between all of us where we can decide on the qualities we want in the next police chief.

According to 11 Alive, George Turner will be the interim Chief of Police for APD. The AJC describes his current position:

Turner joined Atlanta’s police force in 1981 and has commanded the Zone 1 precinct of northwest Atlanta. He now oversees APD’s support services division, which includes the crime lab and the 911 communications center. Turner was a finalist last year for the police chief’s position in Fort Worth, Texas. He declined comment.

An interesting read from the AJC.

Reed’s selection of Atlanta’s next police chief will be one of the most important decisions he’ll make as mayor, and he’s promised his process will be open and transparent, seek public input and entertain applications from “super cops” from within APD and nationwide.For that reason, Reed said recently, he doesn’t want to rush his decision.

At a press conference from the transitional offices at City Hall today, Mayor-elect Kasim Reed announced his choice for Chief Operating Officer for the city. Peter Aman will take the helm and lead the executive management of the municipal operating departments including Police, Fire, Corrections, Aviation, Human Resources, Information Technology, Procurement, Public Works, Parks/Recreation/Cultural Affairs, Watershed Management, and Planning and Community Development.

Personally, I think it’s an excellent choice. Peter Aman was a partner in Bain & Company who authored the Turnaround plan for Atlanta in 2002 and 2005 (otherwise known as “The Bain Report”). He certainly knows the city from the inside out.

Notes from the conference follow.

In Aman’s opening statement he said he is going to approach his duties as COO with 4 areas of concentration:

• a clear vision with clear targets
• hold people accountable
• assemble the best and brightest and create teams
• support city employees with the tools they need and better their morale

His priorities right out of gate will be:

• Public Safety
• Pensions/Fiscal Responsibility
• Service Delivery
• Re-open Recreation Centers

Questions were then asked from the press corps.

Morris Diggs asks, “You could make much more in the private sector. Why have you accepted this job specifically?”

Aman answered, he’s lived in Atlanta since 1996 and thinks it’s not only a unique city but also has unique potential. He wants the city to pull together to move forward. Plus, he thinks he will enjoy the work.

Question: What are your specifics for public safety?

To increase the police force and recruit new officers. He will first focus on the 50 officers that will be funded through the stimulus grant. From there, he will work with the Atlanta Police Foundation on best practices and improving the police department.

He also said he will be in daily discussions with Mayor Reed and the new police chief. He will also be involved with reviewing COBRA (crime statistics) and helping the APD better fight crime.

Question: What do you see as your biggest challenges?

Aman answered saying increasing revenue for the city and finding/creating efficiencies will be the biggest challenges. Property values are dropping and, therefore, city revenue from property taxes will decrease. He will explore revenue sources outside of these to help better Atlanta’s financial solvency.

Question: Will you increase taxes as Franklin did?

Aman answered with “no plans to” and said he will be more aggressive with collections (i.e. money owed to the city).

The reporter pressed, sensing an unclear answer as to yes or no. Reed stepped in and said “no, I will not raise taxes as mayor of Atlanta.” He then said if money is ever needed for police or fire he will ask the people of Atlanta to vote on it.

Question: How will you solve the pension crisis?

He said he is assembling an expert panel to look at the problem and together they will figure out how to address it. He said it is a very complex problem where 1 out of every 5 dollars that comes into the city goes towards pensions. He will be aggressive in finding a solution.

Question: What is in the works for a new police chief?

Reed responded that in 24-48 hours he will announce an acting Chief of Police. He said the search for a permanent replacement will take time but on Friday, December 11th he will announce his plan for the search and hiring of the new chief.

Question: In a follow up to a previous question, Channel 11 asks “You said you will hold city employees ‘more accountable.’ Are you saying the previous administration failed to hold them accountable before?”

Aman said he would not comment on the previous administration and will only look forward.

The last question concerned Norwood’s challenge of the election results and was addressed to mayor-elect Reed. “What is your response to Norwood’s claims that there were over 1300 irregularities in the election and her letter to the Fulton County Board of Elections as well as the Secretary of State for Georgia?”

Reed answered saying that there is very little time between being elected and becoming mayor and that he is focused on governing. He said to direct those questions to Ms. Norwood. He restated that “now is the time for Atlanta to come together.” He said he’s reached out to Norwood with an invitation to be involved but that the courtesy has not been returned. So for now, he will focus on governing.

The press conference then wrapped up and they left the hall for City Council. As the reporters wrapped up, a Fox News reporter shouts over to Channel 11 reporter and says, “hey, that was a ‘tough question!’” (Channel 11’s motto is “We ask the tough questions!”) So I got a little chuckle out of that.

I then went into City Council chambers were the last session of the old council was taking place. At one point along the way, mayor-elect Reed addressed Council and they all posed for a picture. I found it interesting that Mary Norwood hopped up and joined the photo.