Who should be paying security tab at Atlanta Public Safety Training Center site?
Councilman argues taxpayers shouldn't foot bill for public safety training site security
Atlanta officers continue to guard the controversial law enforcement training site while it remains under construction in DeKalb County. During a public meeting, an Atlanta city councilman told a police commander that taxpayers should not foot that security bill.
ATLANTA - An Atlanta councilman does not think city taxpayers should pay the security tab to guard the construction site for the future Public Safety Training Center.
Antonio Lewis questions why on-duty cops have been shifted and deployed as security guards.
The number of officers is not small and neither are the daily security costs said to be more than $40,000 a day in one published report.
Atlanta councilman Antonio Lewis questions why on-duty cops have been shifted and deployed as security guards.
"It is something we have not seen before," said deputy Timothy Peek, "the level of violence and what has been happening out there."
Protesters citing environmental concerns have assaulted officers and vandalized construction equipment, according to the authorities.
Police say one shot from a hideout striking a state officer. Police returned fire and killed that protester.
The councilman believes the large project can handle a security budget.
The Atlanta Police Foundation is behind the initiative but will not return FOX 5 queries about on-duty manpower and whether the foundation might take over responsibility for paying the security costs.
Atlanta councilman Antonio Lewis questions why on-duty cops have been shifted and deployed as security guards.
Vince Champion, who is director of the police union, put forward a compromise.
He thinks trained guards could handle the majority of the security detail supplemented by just a few sworn police.
"Protecting the site is not the issue," Champion told FOX 5. "We just don't have the manpower to have all those officers watch the area."