New ‘nightlife division’ to address high-crime venues

By Dyana Bagby

Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens is implementing a new “nightlife division” in his office to tackle ways to reduce infractions at bars and clubs with a history of crime.

The announcement of the new division was made on April 4 during the mayor’s first State of the City to business and civic leaders.

“Nightlife is a significant part of who we are as a city,” Dickens said. “But bad operators and bad patrons will be kept in line.”

The division will be tasked with hosting quarterly training for businesses on how to deescalate violent altercations, security training, and first aid and emergency response.

Dickens continued to expand on his public safety initiatives, including adding 250 new Atlanta Police Department officers by the end of 2022.

“Recruitment efforts are yielding more applications, and for the first time ever, APD partnered with Lenox Square mall to host a recruitment event there,” Dickens said.

A string of shootings at Buckhead’s Lenox Square in 2020 led mall operators to add metal detectors and gun-sniffing dogs.

Rising crime rates in Buckhead have spawned a movement for the wealthy north Atlanta enclave to break off from the city.

In his first days of office, a new APD precinct in Buckhead Village, “located in the heart of Zone 2,” was opened, Dickens said.

The office is still under construction but is nearing completion. Dickens said a dozen officers would staff the new precinct by this summer.

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