Crime problems key issue in Atlanta mayoral race as election draws near

Atlanta mayoral candidates land endorsements, tout public safety plan

Candidates vying to be Atlanta's next mayor continue to emphasize their plans to fight crime as the race enters its final month.

ATLANTA - Grady Memorial Hospital was the backdrop for Atlanta mayoral candidate Felicia Moore's rollout of her public safety imitative on Friday.

"You all know that our city is suffering from a devastating crime wave," said Moore. "This year alone there have been more than 110 murders."

Moore, who currently serves as president of the Atlanta City Council detailed a multi-pronged plan she called a "holistic approach" to combat crime. Her plan addresses five key areas: children, cops, courts, code enforcement, and the Atlanta community.

"We can't just arrest our way out of this crisis," said Moore. "Locking up young men doesn't solve our problems, it just makes things worse. It doesn't help us."

Atlanta City Council Felicia Moore, who is running to be the city's next mayor, met with her supporters to announce her multi-pronged plan to fight crime on Oct. 1, 2021. (FOX 5)

Moore went on to say that the city could no longer fall back on the policies that have been in place for the past five to ten years and must implement 21st-century policing strategies that include hiring additional officers, officer training in de-escalation techniques, and the addition of mental health and crisis intervention services.

"We need to create trust between the community and the Atlanta Police Department, but you can't build trust on a crumbling infrastructure, and that means we have to acknowledge and address the legacy of racism and brutality head-on," said Moore.

Moore said that entails taking on the root causes of crime: poverty, lack of opportunity, and an unequal system that would rather lock people up than provide them the help that they need.

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Former Atlanta Mayor and UN Ambassador Andrew Young discusses with FOX 5's Deidra Dukes on Oct. 1, 2021, about his decision to endorse endorsing Mayor Kasim Reed in the upcoming election. (FOX 5)

With the general election just weeks away, the crowded field of candidates is ramping up their efforts to appeal to Atlanta voters fed up with crime.

"Crime is a major issue in today's world," said former Atlanta Mayor and UN Ambassador Andrew Young. "And it was a major issue when I was elected. We were the murder capital of the world when I was elected."

Decades after he faced a similar crisis, Young said much of today's crime issues are fueled by the pandemic.

"Everybody's got time on their hands," Young said. "Everybody's been suffering from this virus. People are stir crazy".

Young became the first high-profile figure to weigh in on the mayor's race, formally endorsing former Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, for what would mark his third term in office if elected. Young said he's backing Reed because he believes Reed has a proven track record.