City officials say Atlanta must prepare for potential terrorist attacks

ATLANTA - An Atlanta City Council member says it is a different world now where terrorist attacks can happen anywhere, even in "the city too busy to hate." 

The New Year’s Eve truck attack on Bourbon Street in New Orleans that killed 14 people who gathered just to have a good time certainly gave Atlanta city officials pause. 

Since the 1996 Summer Olympics, Atlanta has become an international premier city that hosts world-class events on a regular basis. Unfortunately, that high-profile status makes the city more vulnerable to terrorist attacks. 

From the farewell tribute to beloved former President Jimmy Carter to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Atlanta has become a world destination. In two weeks, Atlanta will once again take the sports spotlight, hosting the College Football National Championship game, the first city to hold such an honor. 

One longtime city council member admits there are downsides that come with international fanfare. "As a world-class city, we've got the world's busiest airport here. That makes us a target because we have these large events. We have the Super Bowl. We have the college basketball championships here on a regular basis," said council member Michael Bond. 

Bond points to the closed streets around the Carter Center as an indication that security has been heightened. The councilman says police are using drones and helicopters to keep people safe. "We live in a different time now where terrorism is a local consideration, like pedestrian traffic management or what is the MARTA schedule," Bond said. 

Bond said it is important that local, state, and federal authorities coordinate and work together, oftentimes thinking outside of the box to stay ahead of terrorism. 

A local attorney says these unexpected attacks leave cities like Atlanta and New Orleans very vulnerable. "Law enforcement and federal agencies, they do listening, tracking, they try to identify the threats as they're happening in real time, to do as much preventative activity as they can," said attorney Jessica Cino. "There will be incidents like this again somehow, somewhere." 

Cino says sophisticated intelligence-gathering methods that include social media can prevent some of these attacks.

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