Atlantic Station safety: What measures are in place to prevent shootings at popular Atlanta shopping plaza?
Police investigate a shooting on 17th Street near Atlantic Station. (FOX 5 Atlanta)
ATLANTA - The holiday season means shoppers are packing stores, but one popular place for metro Atlanta residents to shop is getting attention for a deadly shooting near its premises.
Police said at least one person was killed and five people were injured on Nov. 27 after police responded to 1371 Market Street near Atlantic Station. On Saturday night, police said off-duty Atlanta police officers and Atlantic Station security guards escorted groups of juveniles off the property for disorderly behavior, and a violation of the Atlantic Station curfew before the shooting happened on 17th Street.
The neighborhood and retail district implemented the curfew in January, saying the decision was in response to the rise in crime across the city. At the time it was announced, officials said it would be strictly enforced. The policy stated no one under the age of 18 was allowed on the premises without a parent or guardian after 3 p.m. Each adult can only accompany a maximum of 4 minors. No one under the age of 21 was permitted on the property after 9 p.m.
A spokesperson for Atlantic Station said there was a 24/7 security team in place and over 500 surveillance cameras throughout the property:
"Atlantic Station is proud of its position as the heart of Atlanta, and we take our role seriously in keeping the community safe. We are frustrated by the rise in crime citywide and have zero tolerance for this kind of behavior at Atlantic Station. We have enacted stricter curfews within our code of conduct that are effective immediately. A 3 p.m. curfew will be strictly enforced for all youth under 18 who are not accompanied by a parent or guardian. No individuals under 21 will be permitted on property after 9 p.m. No more than four youths per parent or guardian. This decision comes as part of our continued effort to update and invest in Atlantic Station’s state-of-the-art security program, which includes our 24/7 security team and over 500 surveillance cameras throughout the property. For more information about our code of conduct, please visit our website at atlanticstation.com."
ATLANTA OFFICIALS' MESSAGE TO PARENTS: ‘KNOW WHERE YOUR CHILDREN ARE’
Atlanta police said officers responded at around 8 p.m., which would have been past the time minors need to be accompanied by adults.
Atlanta Police Department Chief Darin Schierbaum said Sunday he is proud of his department's officers for their quick actions during Saturday night's incident. He said Atlantic Station has taken effective measures to attempt to prevent crime in the area.
"We want to commend Atlantic Station for being a strong partner, for hiring additional officers for enforcing what I think is a best-in-class curfew on their property, and also for integrating their cameras," Schierbaurm said.
He asked anyone with footage of the incident to submit it to Atlanta police. Anyone with information can contact Atlanta police at 404-577-TIPS. His message to parents: know where your children are.
"What Atlanta Police Department and Atlantic Station can't do is be parents," Schierbaum said.
Dickens said, at the time of the shooting, there were 10 security guards and off-duty police … He emphasized that the majority of examples of violence near shopping centers in Atlanta are not random and there have been millions of safe transactions at Atlanta retinal centers this season.
"Police presence and all of the things that we've done still resulted in this incident occurring," Dickens said.
Before the curfew, a Georgia State University officer shot and wounded an alleged gunman firing at a group of people.
In March 2021, people saw a man with body armor and several guns walking through the store and loading the weapons while in the restroom. The man was taken into custody.
There have been several incidents since Atlantic Station has implemented security measures. Not all incidents happened at the shopping plaza.
One person was killed in a shooting one afternoon in April, police said. In August, a man was shot on 17th Street south of the property. In October, a woman told Atlanta police she was shot near the movie theater.