Atlanta’s Buckhead Neighborhood Is Exploring Secession Because of Rising Violence
Buckhead, a neighborhood in Atlanta, Georgia, is known for its mansions and classy malls. But when a woman pulled into her driveway after work one night, two men were at her car door. One threw her to the ground, put a weapon to her head, and said he was going to blow her head off. They took her cellphone and purse and left.
Lauren LeNoir said, “He had no regard for my life. They’ve stolen something that I cannot get back, and that is my sense of security.”
Atlanta has seen a rise in violent crime since last summer, and not just in this particular neighborhood. There were 18 homicides in Atlanta between January 1 and February 20, 2021, up 80% over the same period last year. For the same period, aggravated assaults were up 47%; robberies, 17%; and shooting incidents, 32%.
In the police area that includes Buckhead, for that same period, robberies were up 40%, and aggravated assaults, 35%.
Atlanta is not alone in this increase in assaults, homicides, and gun-related crimes. But for Atlanta, the increase comes after years of dropping crime rates and an influx of more affluent residents who’ve been attracted to the city because of plentiful jobs.
Ms. LeNoir said she’s planning to buy a home in the suburbs, and that some of her friends are, too. “Everybody is on edge,” she said.
The alarm felt in Buckhead is significant; some residents have launched a committee to look into seceding from Atlanta. That would mean Buckhead would have its own police department. The Buckhead Exploratory Committee said crime wasn’t their only concern but was a crucial one.
The Committee said in a statement, “Our residents are genuinely concerned for their safety and the safety of their family members. Residents must be wary and ‘on guard’ continuously, even when doing routine tasks like going to the gas station, nearby shopping mall, shopping at the grocery store, or just pulling into their driveways, mindful if anyone is lurking in the bushes.”
Last December, a seven-year-old girl was shot in the back of the head while riding in a car going Christmas shopping with her family. She later died. Several men in a parking lot nearby got into a gunfight that led to the girl’s death.
A shortage of officers and last summer’s protests over policing, which led many officers to retire or relocate, seem to be at the root of the rising crime wave. About 200 officers left the force after the Rayshard Brooks shooting in June. Brooks was black; the police officer who shot him was white.
Criminologists and the police department say that less foot traffic on the streets of the city during the pandemic has emboldened criminals and made them believe they won’t get caught.
FBI Director Christopher Wray told the Senate Judiciary Committee this month that police recruiting and staffing and the pandemic are elements in the violent crime increases in Atlanta and other major cities. He said, “The violent crime problem over the last year in particular, 2020, is something that is a great concern that we are very warily keeping our eye on.”
City officials oppose the secession. Buckhead is wealthy and largely white, while the rest of Atlanta is mostly black. Officials argue that the secession would remove much of the city’s tax base and its budget. Buckhead is 73.5% white and 23.9% black.
Atlanta’s interim Police Chief Rodney Bryant, in the post since June, is committed to working to reduce violent crime and to new policing approaches, he says. A series of reform measures were announced in January that includes a new public-safety academy to train officers in those new policing methods, more resources for enforcement against gun violence and gangs, and additional efforts to recruit and retain officers.
Sgt. John Chaffee, Atlanta Police Department spokesman, said the upsurge in violent crime came at a time when “we were dealing with increased hostility toward law enforcement and a decreased sense of trust toward police. Atlanta, as well as many other cities, saw an increase in officers leaving the job, further adding to the challenges faced in keeping our communities safe.”
Although the department is authorized to have 2,046 sworn employees, they currently have about 1,700. Eighty-nine of those are new recruits.
Felicia Moore is Atlanta City Council President. She said that the city must balance making sure residents’ rights are protected with supporting police. She also said that residents want more officers on the streets. “The criminals read the news and watch the TV. They know you are down officers,” she said.
Buckhead leaders and organizations unveiled the Buckhead Security Plan in the fall. The plan is intended to protect businesses and residents. It was backed by the police department, members of the Fulton County Commission, the Atlanta Police Foundation, and a member of Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms’ administration. The goal is to increase public safety using law enforcement officers from local and state agencies.
The plan has two primary elements: “Deterrence & Enforcement” and “Policy & Procedural Change.” Changes would include license plate readers and cameras for all major intersections in the neighborhood, a coordinated security patrol, and new methods to crack down on “street racing”, noise, and “spot-checking overcrowding at problematic establishments.”
According to Jim Durrett, president of Buckhead Coalition and executive director of Buckhead Community Improvement District, “We are taking action to reverse recent trends in crime, hold lawbreakers accountable, and restore citizen confidence that Buckhead is safe and secure.” He said, “The partners collaborating on this effort understand the urgency of the situation and are committed to responding in ways that meet the needs of this moment and put Buckhead on a solid footing for years to come.”
Buckhead is not the first neighborhood to try to secede from Atlanta. In 2018, Stockbridge residents tried to de-annex from Atlanta and create a new city called Eagle’s Landing. The proposal was voted down after bitter debate; 57% of the residents in the proposed area voted no.
A Buckhead resident since 2002, Matt Brill, came home from getting a pizza last summer. A man followed him home and pulled a rifle from his car. Brill ran into the house and called the police; the man drove away.
“You kind of are hopeful that this is a near-term trend. At first, it’s just a one-off, but then it keeps happening and you wonder, are we just stupid for staying here?” He asks. Though Brill has no plans to move yet, he says his neighbors are thinking of leaving.
