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New policy aims to clear Atlanta streets of the “bottle boys”
Teens selling bottled water subject to arrest under new police policy.
ATLANTA - Atlanta police will give the boys who sell water at busy intersections one warning to leave. If they do not heed that warning, police will confiscate their coolers and detain them.
On Tuesday evening, the police activity was launched with a public service announcement by Buckhead Major Andrew Senzer.
The popular retail area is one of the hotspots where the so-called "bottle boys" have been able to collect hundreds of dollars in a day.
And it has not been all water sales. Often, motorists will give youngsters more than a dollar and allow them to keep the water.
With the water business generating ample cash, for a youngster, there have been turf battles for street corners and some aggressive behavior -- even criminal activity.
"This has to stop," Senzer says in the announcement. The Buckhead commander also asks motorists to stop patronizing the kids.
The sales to start with are unlawful. Anyone trying to become a vendor must have a permit. Besides the legality involved, one nine-year-old child got struck by a motorist.
Fortunately, his injuries were not serious.