[{"_1":2,"_110":-5,"_111":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,74,86,98],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},"mediaId",6146196,"mediaKeyId","5527930-1778515837a447dcc923fc3bc86ec115","parentId",5527930,"title","Families and advocates call for accountability after off‑duty shootings; council hears pleas but takes no immediate personnel action","audioSeconds",1190,"startMs",12860000,"endMs",14050000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5527930-1778515837a447dcc923fc3bc86ec115&start=12860&end=14050","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5527930-1778515837a447dcc923fc3bc86ec115/thumbnail_12860000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6146196/Atlanta/Fulton-County/Georgia/Families-and-advocates-call-for-accountability-after-offduty-shootings-council-hears-pleas-but-takes-no-immediate-personnel-action","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6146196-61af6172a5bfe9e059eb415a07f8c969/orig.mp4?Expires=1770434791&Signature=WO6uv-46PjPefZMPyCYujBZejPR-hYmPPgGHk2caxMD~N3jw6BY-w4ydSxXkV-DUUzMscmi1UBZp3I6YTY9fM61bh4ZSl-G15J2og-F200~rdiIXM1TNo0CDOb8~pb7-38XIN0TmYvong9TEI5~JNZXCD2BwtaBr9sdXHePsszO37gyhN~mNoYzyj6X6S6XhJVIrbe7g10oj~pWlQzyEvlfRLHP6GKxfiiYc~CHE5qHFP-4tuZNhwDbVilGB4rXr~tJc~hmUEY4obhyaPMukpG7H2fiNccTiRxStdJ20WXExMiao5PFAF-ek75gfbeXwEzkDWQUEpGPiYYWSmwmhAA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-08-04T22:17:53Z","article","Several members of the public used the council’s public‑comment period on Aug. 5 to press the city and law‑enforcement leaders for accountability over off‑duty and on‑duty police actions, including the family of a man fatally shot in 2024.

Valerie Anderson, whose son Devon Anderson Jr. was shot and killed, told the council she had seen no accountability in the year since his death. “Melvin Potter you murdered a wrong mother's son, and I'm going to hold you accountable until I get justice,” Anderson said. She asked why Officer Melvin Potter remained employed by the Atlanta Police Department and said she planned to pursue every lawful avenue to hold him responsible.

Other public speakers asked the council to review personnel actions and disciplinary policies after recent high‑profile incidents involving off‑duty officers. Several advocates said the department’s disciplinary decisions appeared inconsistent: they noted recent terminations of APD recruits for off‑duty misconduct while other officers accused of serious misconduct remained on the payroll.

Speakers referenced earlier incidents, including the 2020 killing of Rayshard Brooks and subsequent disciplinary actions for involved officers, and asked why comparable standards were not being enforced in other cases. Civil‑rights advocates in the audience urged the council to demand transparency in internal‑affairs processes and to ensure timely public release of investigative status updates.

Council members acknowledged the public comments and indicated the council’s limited direct authority over APD operational decisions but said they would press for information and transparency. The meeting record shows no formal action taken against personnel during the Aug. 5 session; members encouraged the public to raise the issues again with the mayor’s office, the police chief and the department’s internal‑affairs unit.

Several speakers also raised broader legal concerns about charging procedures and constitutional protections; one attorney provided a notice addressing grand‑jury requirements and the Fifth Amendment in the context of Georgia’s charging practices. That submission was presented as a public legal notice rather than a motion or council action.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","#Atlanta City Council Regular Session: August 4, 2025 #atlpol","oneSentenceSummary","Multiple public commenters urged the council to press for firings and prosecutions related to off‑duty police conduct, including the family of a man killed last year; speakers said officers accused of violence remain on the force and called for transparency and justice.","taxTitle","Atlanta, Fulton County, Georgia","taxId",2959,"location","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":77,"_43":78,"_45":79,"_47":80,"_49":81,"_51":82,"_53":83,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":84,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":85,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6146200,"Atlanta Watershed Management honored with statewide platinum awards for water treatment and distribution",1081,7277000,8358000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5527930-1778515837a447dcc923fc3bc86ec115&start=7277&end=8358","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5527930-1778515837a447dcc923fc3bc86ec115/thumbnail_7277000.jpg","/articles/6146200/Atlanta/Fulton-County/Georgia/Atlanta-Watershed-Management-honored-with-statewide-platinum-awards-for-water-treatment-and-distribution","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6146200-bc540290e00eb0fa69d106e758f29e21/orig.mp4?Expires=1770434791&Signature=ahXeiwtUX2njJWzW-oBcuDMlVlQ1xlX7tcFrWxJ7TAX5s5PtOAahZiO7KFJDVU8m54VhenxRtSRY-LzFKCUVuO4ymcRXYHy9pnqQkYAAgsECg5-XSNBPcsQ4LfOEPtq~jMMcBAG~8JZmO-xs~BhVpyHGbm7iIqUCq1ivKD2RGFlwcrJFgmdi53mbcYdbgnrD4ZOG0WnZqOSDX3UYYDtcOfcMI3wLgMqhR8CUO4pksVkU3z-0GHa1Wxx7EeDey109CCVoD2p3Vt7ODD0~PDw6Fg0ATvHNxGKVNA8vsHCC65yb7NmU5nI-ZS7mkuDvLAkSIB-hhytk8-w~tVjYskukBg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Georgia Association of Water Professionals (GAWP) on Aug. 5 presented the City of Atlanta's Department of Watershed Management with statewide honors recognizing operational excellence: a platinum award for the Hemphill Water Treatment Plant, a gold award for the Chattahoochee Water Treatment Plant and a platinum award for Atlanta’s water distribution system.

Pam Burnett, executive director of GAWP, described the awards’ strict requirements. “To earn this award, you have to achieve a score of 95 out of 100 points” in distribution evaluations, she said, and platinum status requires five consecutive gold awards. For drinking water facility awards, Burnett said the plants must have zero permit violations for the award period. The Hemphill plant received platinum status for the second consecutive year, and the city’s distribution system earned a platinum distinction after sustained compliance.

Commissioner Greg Earley of the Department of Watershed Management told the council the work behind the honors is constant and intensive. “We take 975 samples a month. There's 21 tests that have to pass for each of those samples,” he said; over several years that represents more than a million tests in a row, he added. “When it comes to samples and water quality, it's not the 95% they have to get right. It's a 100%.”

GAWP emphasized the statewide nature of the competition: utilities across Georgia are evaluated, and compliance failures as small as late paperwork can disqualify an applicant for the award. The distribution platinum recognizes consistent, high‑level operation across many functional units within the department — distribution operations, engineering, linear infrastructure, watershed protection and others — the association said.

Council members praised Watershed staff for the awards. Council chair of the utilities committee Howard Shook called the accomplishments “a great accomplishment” and thanked staff from plant managers to crews working on the street. Commissioner Earley noted the department’s size and role: Watershed serves roughly 1.2 million residents and visitors daily and operates multiple large treatment facilities.

Officials said the awards do not mean the department has no remaining challenges: aging infrastructure, water main breaks and customer billing issues persist, Commissioner Earley and council members said. But they framed the awards as a recognition of steady operational excellence and reliability under demanding conditions.

The council adopted a proclamation recognizing the awards and invited plant managers and operations staff to the dais for photos.","The Georgia Association of Water Professionals presented platinum awards to Atlanta's Hemphill Water Treatment Plant and the city's distribution system; officials said the honors reflect sustained regulatory compliance and intensive, around‑the‑clock operations.",{"_33":87,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":88,"_41":89,"_43":90,"_45":91,"_47":92,"_49":93,"_51":94,"_53":95,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":96,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":97,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6146204,"Cascade Road business owners plead for relief as multi‑year construction restricts access",316,10133000,10449000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5527930-1778515837a447dcc923fc3bc86ec115&start=10133&end=10449","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5527930-1778515837a447dcc923fc3bc86ec115/thumbnail_10133000.jpg","/articles/6146204/Atlanta/Fulton-County/Georgia/Cascade-Road-business-owners-plead-for-relief-as-multiyear-construction-restricts-access","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6146204-a327e44a65128f5d6a5b5b6841beae06/orig.mp4?Expires=1770434791&Signature=jIf7x6q7WO5hhO7zDLRVMB6lzdRHikYNFswFJZjiaS2puKoAINFyrjY92iFlKIgaMb7xhiax2AdZC1r3Id2-z-i9XzmRPPD4-El-8JdLSzMcp~wU-LBgk6Mj7XOCOkgOoHzZI8YuluavJ-EzlyfJrH-FgI5GyzLaIJE62Xs6mAyb3LgqG5wzoynmMqT-yS-Ub1qLhccUxb79qTJyxGOtpffG98GJbQPPNomI8tfICQ2gPpNMzAgYN4iCxcwF1uIcnt5gexXcYUOdCK6Jz2U76VjmCScaxNv-P79t-AOW8ELahABWJ4DC7gLHQe1ITs2ZCvtCP3g-MkQFSF6~bn-IqA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Dozens of Cascade Heights business owners and residents told the Atlanta City Council on Aug. 5 that the city’s multi-year Complete Streets construction along Cascade Road has severely reduced foot and vehicle access and left small, local businesses struggling to survive.

Owners and community leaders described reduced sales, lost customers and rising costs attributed to repeated detours, slow or intermittent work and a lack of a meaningful city-funded recovery program. Several business operators said they had been operating at a loss for months and urged the council and the mayor’s office to provide emergency grant funding and a transparent completion timeline.

Trinket Lewis, owner of More Life Juice Co., described a steep revenue decline and the toll on staff. “Traffic outside More Life has gone from a steady flow ... to just a trickle. Sometimes one or two cars an hour,” Lewis said. She told the council that the business, which opened in early 2022, has fallen from an average of 900 orders a month to about 380. “We are at the end of the rope,” she said.

Restaurant owner Trent Floyd, who owns JR Crickets at 2348 Cascade Road, said he invested more than $1 million in property and operations and then saw “the major access point near I‑285” remain closed for more than two years. “We are operating in survival mode,” Floyd said, and asked the city for a realistic timeline and financial support.

Other speakers included Angela Ingram of Cafe Bartique and Courtney Rucker of Natalie Bianca. Both said they opened their businesses to serve the neighborhood, invested their life savings and have seen walk‑in traffic and quick‑stop visits decline. “We were offered a loan — why would we take on a loan when we are already in debt?” Ingram said, urging the council to provide grants rather than loans.

Community advocate Rodney Mullins called the construction situation an “emergency,” saying the city’s response to infrastructure problems has been uneven and arguing Cascade businesses deserve the same swift help given to other parts of the city. “They only struggled for four days” in another neighborhood and received rapid relief, Mullins said; Cascade businesses have faced two years of disruption.

Council members acknowledged the complaints, thanked speakers for coming, and several—most prominently Council member Marcy Collier Overstreet—said they were working with the mayor’s office and Atlanta Department of Transportation staff to seek accelerated schedules and to assemble recovery tools. Council members noted the city has used business recovery funds in previous infrastructure crises, and advocates said the same approach should apply to Cascade.

Speakers asked for three concrete outcomes: (1) a clear, published completion schedule for the Complete Streets work; (2) emergency grant funding or other non‑debt relief to cover lost revenue and operating costs; and (3) regular, transparent communications from the city on progress and access plans. The council did not vote on a funding package during the meeting; several members said they would press the mayor’s office and relevant departments to produce options for recovery funding and an updated schedule.

The public comments were substantial, with multiple business owners, residents and clergy speaking in support of immediate relief and a commitment to equitable treatment of Southwest Atlanta business districts.","Multiple Cascade Heights business owners told the council during public comment that the prolonged Complete Streets construction has slashed customers and revenue, and they asked the city for grants, a clear timeline and other emergency relief rather than loans.",{"_33":99,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":100,"_41":101,"_43":102,"_45":103,"_47":104,"_49":105,"_51":106,"_53":107,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":108,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":109,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6146208,"Atlanta City Council creates Edgewood Corridor Public Safety Task Force after mass shooting",322,16505000,16827000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5527930-1778515837a447dcc923fc3bc86ec115&start=16505&end=16827","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5527930-1778515837a447dcc923fc3bc86ec115/thumbnail_16505000.jpg","/articles/6146208/Atlanta/Fulton-County/Georgia/Atlanta-City-Council-creates-Edgewood-Corridor-Public-Safety-Task-Force-after-mass-shooting","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6146208-5cadd91e4df904a313a55b3c69a507b4/orig.mp4?Expires=1770434791&Signature=EJroYl4VUC~hUAX~YH-njggNr8Z9vrYSn-lh-nWP8wq7oAk-M9OnBY12SY-NLNtOjuA0XwOYbl-befNuRgNTsT6RIpIQa8~QHw6gYhmWLxEHo8-I3hfne7DO974fGN2QrpFHqZ9nuqF40WkBoaaJjh5jEP3Jp1wgZE3dek8Ie2eg9BSn3k4DPWR~zLtWdhCf7faX429u5qviEUHGUsdCyUBkenNe4jNHqUFV3NkMOuHdthWDQ5RzOVfT-pjAgchUezrVoZzWBfCNnN27F8w7tRklxcg5Xg5gzoXM8wbmsc4HoeiNs3re0Kx5OcKZFHuETn73qODyNmg0llW5RVfebA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Atlanta City Council on Aug. 5 unanimously approved a resolution establishing an Edgewood Corridor Public Safety Task Force to coordinate short-term interventions and longer-term strategies intended to reduce violence and improve public safety along Edgewood Avenue in the Old Fourth Ward and Sweet Auburn neighborhoods.

The task force was proposed after a July 8 mass shooting on Edgewood Avenue that “resulted in the death of 1 person [and] serious injuries to 10 others,” according to the resolution. Council member Liliana Bakhtiari introduced the measure; Council member Andrea L. Boone seconded it. The council then voted to send the approved task force to the mayor’s office posthaste. The final recorded vote on both adoption and immediate transmittal was 13-0.

The resolution directs the task force to partner with businesses, neighborhood associations, law enforcement and other governmental entities to develop a “comprehensive plan to deter crime and enhance public safety.” Members named in the resolution include the chief operating officer (or designee), the police chief (or designee), the council members for Districts 1 and 2 (or their designees), District 5’s council member (or designee), and representatives from the Old Fourth Ward Neighborhood Association, Old Fourth Ward business groups and the Auburn Church Collaborative. The task force will be staffed by one unilateral appointment of the chief operating officer and one unilateral appointment by the District 5 council member.

The resolution requires the task force to meet at least six times and to present findings, recommendations and proposed safety protocols to the full council within 30 business days of its final meeting. The task force will sunset Dec. 31, 2025, unless council acts otherwise.

Council members framed the action as a combination of immediate and structural response. The resolution text cites the city’s prior use of multiagency collaborations in other neighborhoods and directs the new body to “center equity and community voices” while pursuing both short-term interventions and systemic change.

The council did not specify budgetary allocations for the task force in the resolution; rather, it sets membership, timeline and reporting requirements and directs the mayor’s office to receive the item and help operationalize it. The council’s vote followed public comments from community members demanding a prompt, visible response after the shooting.

The council clerk recorded the motion to approve as moved by Council member Liliana Bakhtiari and seconded by Council member Andrea L. Boone. The motion to transmit the adopted resolution to the mayor’s office posthaste also passed 13-0.

The task force’s first steps will be the appointments, scheduling of the required meetings and a report back to the council. The 30-business-day reporting requirement means the council expects the task force to deliver initial recommendations in the fall; further policy or budget actions would require later votes by the council.","The council voted unanimously to establish a multiagency task force to develop short- and longer-term measures to deter violence and improve safety along Edgewood Avenue following a July 8 mass shooting that left one person dead and multiple people injured.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Families and advocates call for accountability after off‑duty shootings; council hears pleas but takes no immediate personnel action

Atlanta Watershed Management honored with statewide platinum awards for water treatment and distribution

Cascade Road business owners plead for relief as multi‑year construction restricts access

Atlanta City Council creates Edgewood Corridor Public Safety Task Force after mass shooting