Atlanta police reverse policy on not responding to minor accidents

ATLANTA - The Atlanta Police Department is reversing its policy on not responding to some vehicle crashes in the city.

At the end of July, the city announced via its Atlanta311 Facebook page that police officers would no longer respond to non-injury accidents. Motorists who got into accidents that did not result in an injury would now fill out an online form.

At the time, officials say the action was being taken in an effort to reduce police officers' possible exposure to the coronavirus.

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Starting in March, "the number of motorists on the roads mainly consisted of essential employees and first-responders," the Atlanta Police Department said on Facebook.

Some motorists told FOX 5 they worried about what might happen with emotions running high after a crash and no officer present.

On Friday, the City of Atlanta Police Department said that it would begin returning to the normal operational plan "now that the number of vehicles on our streets and roadways has increased."

The APD says that officers will still wear personal protective equipment, including face masks and gloves, during their responses and try to practice social distancing when possible.

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