Atlanta Police Chief Rodney Bryant on Monday addressed another weekend of shootings and what his department is doing to tamp down an ongoing crime wave.
Atlanta City Council President Felicia Moore asked Bryant to attend the June 7 council meeting after three drive-by shootings, a pedestrian attack, and a shooting death at a Buckhead hotel.
“The public is scared and doesn’t feel safe,” Moore said. “People feel they can’t jog, shop, or get gas at the gas station.”
Among several efforts, the chief acknowledged the proliferation of guns on the streets of Atlanta and said he was working to restructure APD to expand the gun assault unit and create a domestic violence unit. Bryant said the department remains down 400 officers after mass resignations last year during civil unrest spurred by officer-involved shootings around the country and in the city.