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Atlanta community moves to separate from city over crime spike: 'People have had enough'
By Amy Nelson
Published June 17, 2021
A community in Atlanta has decided to separate from the city and create its own police force. Bill White, the Buckhead City Committee CEO, said the decision comes as crime in Atlanta has skyrocketed and police are not being properly funded.
White told Bill Hemmer on "America's Newsroom" that he estimates nearly 80 percent of his community will vote in favor of the separation.
"We have two bills in the Georgia legislature dropping in January to decide this referendum ballot," White said.
ATLANTA SUBURB RESIDENTS DEMAND SEPARATE POLICE FORCE AS CRIME RAGES: ‘WE ARE LIVING IN A WARZONE’
"We filed our divorce papers at the city of Atlanta, and our divorce is final."
White said Atlanta Mayor Keisha Bottoms’ policies have emboldened criminals and let the Atlanta Police Department down.
"They feel demoralized, underpaid, under-recognized. They are being told basically not to fight crime in the way they would like to."
Police statistics show murders in Atlanta are up 63% year-to-date compared to 2020 as of May 29.
41-year-old Andrew Worrell was shot twice on a recent Saturday at 8:35 a.m. while walking through his own neighborhood.
Worrell’s incident was not isolated. Two other joggers in the area reported being shot at around the same time.
"We’re going to get a hold of it here in Buckhead," White said.
The new community, Buckhead City, will have its own law enforcement system to focus on getting crime rates down.
"We'll have our own court. We'll have our own judge. We'll have our own jail," White said. "And we are going to put the smackdown on this crime once and for all here, because the people of Buckhead have had enough."
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White is confident the separation will offer Buckhead the ability to properly address crime while also benefitting Atlanta.
"A new Buckhead city will do a much better job and will work very well with Atlanta. We're going to help Atlanta. We're going to be two strong cities, prosperous and safe, we pray."
Fox News' Stephanie Pagones contributed to this report.
https://www.foxnews.com/media/buckhead-atlanta-separate-city-crime-spike-inadequate-policing