Atlanta council members contribute cash to public safety effort

ATLANTA - Politicians often will tell their constituents about a commitment they make to ensure safe streets for all residents. 

In Atlanta, three council members are putting up cash to back up that statement. Howard Shook, Matt Westmoreland and J.P. Matzigkeit dipped into their taxpayer-funded office accounts and transferred a total of $125,000 to a public safety effort directed at the Buckhead area. 

Every member of council receives hundreds of thousands of dollars to run their offices, hire staff. They can choose to direct those funds to a public purpose. 

The private effort to buttress what police officers do every day include hiring more off-duty patrols, enhancing the surveillance camera use, adding money to reward funds and supporting youth programs. 

Westmoreland says he has heard the message, "loud and clear", that crime is too high. 

Violent crime, murders in particular, are at a two-decade high. With just a few days left in 2020, Atlanta is nearing 160 killings. 

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