Atlanta City Council president requests APD chief come to meeting
ATLANTA - The president of the Atlanta City Council has requested the police chief be at the council's meeting Monday.
In a post on Facebook, Felicia Moore says she wants Chief Rodney Bryant to share what is being done to immediately reverse the trend of escalating violence in the city.
Moore, who is running for Mayor, called the ongoing crime trend an "all hands on deck situation."
"People are dying and we need answers and action," she said.
SEE MORE: Lawmakers address Atlanta's rising crime rates
The so-called "COVID Crime Spike" has gotten the attention of local, state, and federal lawmakers. Last month, members of the Georgia House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee held their first meeting on the issue of crime in the city of Atlanta to see if the state needs to intervene.
Speaking to FOX 5, Bryant said the city didn't get to where it is with regards to crime overnight.
"For one side of our community, gun violence is a major issue. For another side of our community street racing is a big issue. There are others that think water sales on the street are just as dangerous," Bryant said.
MORE: Atlanta Police Chief Rodney Bryant one-on-one with FOX 5
The cases, he says, that have skyrocketed since the pandemic are domestic violence. APD has since started a unit devoted to handling domestic violence cases.
"This unit will actually do investigations on domestic violence but also work with our Victim Witness Unit to try to get the victim some assistance as needed," Chief Bryant explains.
Officials are now pushing for more collaboration and new strategies that zero in on the specific issues and trends in the city. This includes efforts that target street racing, sex trafficking, and gun violence.
WATCH: FOX 5 Atlanta live news coverage
_____
Sign up for FOX 5 email alerts
Download the FOX 5 Atlanta app for breaking news and weather alerts.