ATLANTA — Under the backdrop of civil rights leaders, present-day community leaders called for help to address crime on the Westside of Atlanta.
Shadé Yvonne Jones chairs Neighborhood Planning Unit L, which covers the Vine City and English Avenue neighborhoods. She said she is working with Atlanta City Council, the mayor's office and Atlanta Police to curb violence in her community.
“We're a neighborhood under siege and under attack," Jones said. "We are at an outrage in our community for the violence we’ve had to endure with little or no assistance from our police department. We are really looking for a change and a difference. The cry is for engagement. The cry is for public safety.”
Atlanta Police data shows at least six deadly shootings have happened since the start of 2024 in the Vine City and English Avenue neighborhoods. Already this year, APD said it had made nearly 80 arrests, recovered more than a dozen firearms and conducted more than 500 traffic stops.
APD said it had also served 13 narcotics search warrants, including two in the English Avenue neighborhood. A spokesperson told 11Alive those search warrants resulted in 14 drug dealers being taken off the streets, the seizure of 10 firearms and a "significant number" of narcotics being recovered. Police said 32 repeat offenders had also been arrested in the area.
Atlanta City Councilmember Byron Amos, who represents District 3, is a legacy resident of Vine City. He said police data showed a reduction in crime last year in Zones 1 and 5, in which both neighborhoods reside. However, he'd like to see more funding in the city budget for boosted police presence in his community. He also wanted to fully fund a park ranger program in the city, which started as a partially-funded pilot proposal in 2022.
"All of this crime was preventable," Amos said. "The streets of heaven are too crowded with the angels of our residents."
Atlanta City Councilman Michael Julian Bond also grew up in the Vine City neighborhood. He said while police can step up patrols, it falls on people who live and work in the community to put guns down, report any wrongdoing and look out for one another. He mentioned a recent shooting at Cook Park in which a 3-year-old was hurt.
"This is not a James Bond movie," Bond said. "Bullets don't have names on them. They kill indiscriminately. A young 3-year-old girl almost lost her life, and she was not in a dispute. She wasn't angry at anyone. She hadn't disrespected anybody."
Art Powell felt the call to respond to the recent rash of violence. As program director of Cure Violence OAA, Powell has a team working to stop crimes before they happen. It's an ongoing task to try and keep a community safe.
"We're basically out canvassing the communities and trying to stay ahead of anything we get wind of that could be possible violence, shootings or retaliation and try to meet with those individuals and nip it in the bud to stop it from escalating," Powell said.
Atlanta Police issued the following statement to 11Alive in response to community leaders' calls for change:
Community members in Atlanta’s English Avenue and Vine City neighborhoods have shared concerns regarding violence in their communities and their feeling that more needs to be done by the Atlanta Police Department (APD). We take these concerns very seriously and we understand that a reduction in crime does not always mean our communities feel safer. We understand how important it is to feel safe where you live. This area is home to 16 APD officers. It is home to APD’s recruit housing where nearly 30 recruits live during training. The city’s first @Promise Center is very active in this neighborhood. We live and we work here. We share the same concerns about violence.
Commanders have increased patrols in these communities and are planning several details that will be conducted over the next several weeks. We are working to ensure the officers living here are engaged and patrolling the communities in an effective manner and we are partnering with Westside Blue to increase their coverage in the area. Our Mounted Patrol Units and Path Force Units will increase patrols in area parks and along the Beltline.
Our network of 93 cameras and 38 license plate readers in this area is a resource frequently used by our officers and investigators. From tracking stolen cars to identifying crime suspects, these cameras play a vital role in our enforcement and investigative efforts. A recent example of this is an investigator reviewing footage from a nearby camera to locate and recover a vehicle linked to a homicide.
We will continue to do our part, but we need the help of our communities to address the on-going issue of disputes getting out of control and leading to violence. It is vital that we stop destroying lives and throwing our own lives away by allowing anger to take over during an argument and by resorting to violence to resolve our differences.
APD said escalating disputes have led to violent crimes. They referenced two homicides this year that stemmed from arguments. Officers said arrests were made in each of those cases. Police called the third homicide in the area this year a targeted attack. APD said the court system must also do its part to ensure repeat offenders and violent criminals received what they considered the appropriate sentences.
Jones felt as though crime was a daily occurrence in her community. She said the police response must elevate to eliminate the threat of violence. But she said the neighborhood and those living in it, cannot solve the problem alone.
"We're fighting everyday for a sustainable community, and we need support," Jones said. “We are crying out for support and help in our community."