Police try new strategy to curb street racing as public concern grows

By Collin Kelley

Street racing continues to plague Intown neighborhoods despite the Atlanta Police Department’s efforts to crack down on illegal activity.

At its October meeting, the Atlanta City Council’s Public Safety/Legal Administration committee listened to nearly two hours of comments phoned in by angry and upset residents demanding that measures be taken to curb street racing.

Residents complained about sleepless nights, safety fears, concerns over property values, and offered tips to the police on how to track street racers who organize events via social media. Other callers demanded more action from Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, while some said they were considering moving out of the city.

Committee chair and council member Joyce Sheperd acknowledged that “people are extremely upset” by the ongoing issue and said she’d called 911 a few times herself.

Interim Atlanta Police Chief Rodney Bryant said street racing hotspots continued to be Downtown, Midtown and Buckhead, but calls were coming in from all over the city about incidents.

He said as of Oct. 11, 494 drivers have been charged yearto-date with illegal street racing, a catchall term which includes reckless driving, speeding, laying drag, and donuts. Bryant said with the municipal court still closed due to the pandemic, many of those charged have yet to receive any punishment.

Bryant said 911 calls about street racing dramatically increased after APD released a video in September announcing a crackdown and encouraging residents to call the emergency number.

Over the weekend of Oct. 9-11, Bryant said officers made 255 traffic stops and issued 202 citations related to street racing. He also said the department’s strategy changed in mid-October with officers proactively patrolling areas where street racers like to gather and do their stunts. He said Georgia State Patrol units would also be rejoining the crackdown effort.

“Once court reopens, I think we will see a significant reduction,” Bryant said, noting that fines starting at $1,000, impounding of vehicles, and possible jail time will be a deterrent.

Atlanta Municipal Court Chief Judge Christopher Portis told the committee that the court planned to reopen by the end of October after it works out pandemic safety and sanitation protocols.

Council member Carla Smith floated the idea of asking the Georgia Legislature to increase points on drivers’ licenses, which could lead to revocation for habitual violators.

Sheperd said she believed the ongoing activity stemmed from a number of factors, including the courts being closed and the fact that APD has a city-mandated “no pursuit” policy.

“These drivers know we have a no chase policy and the courts are closed, so they are flying up and down the streets like crazy,” Sheperd said.

Education Briefs

The Fulton County Library System has launched Paper.co, a free, online tutoring service, for Fulton County residents and library card holders. Through Paper’s remote learning platform, students are provided unlimited 24/7 access to online tutoring in any subject from a fully vetted Paper educator, and essay review with annotated feedback within 24 hours. Through Socratic instruction methods, students are guided through concepts to find the answers on their own. In addition to providing free academic support to Fulton County library card holders, Paper.co will also be available for CLASS PASS participants from Atlanta Public Schools, who currently use student identification credentials to access many of the library’s resources. For more information, visit fulcolibrary.org/digitallibrary or paper.co.

The Academy Virtual has opened its new online school for students in grades 3 through 6 with a focus on literacy development. Using research-based and data-driven programs, the school offers intensive, small group intervention to students with severe reading deficiencies, language processing challenges, poor writing or spelling skills, dyslexia, ADHD, or other struggles in a traditional school setting. For more information, visit theacademyvirtual.org.

LogistiCare, a non-emergency medical transportation company, has donated digital learning devices and PPE to the Atlanta Children’s Shelter for their newly formed Virtual School Academy (VSA). The VSA was created in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in order to support parents faced with homelessness with the transition to online schooling for their children, making it possible for them to return to work and continue to support their families. The donation from LogistiCare, which includes tablets and Chromebooks, makes it possible for children in grades K-5 to attend the VSA. Additionally, LogistiCare facilitated a PPE donation for the entire ACS staff and families participating in ACS, which included adult face masks, hand sanitizers and more.

Cintas was one of the companies that donated PPE via LogistiCare for Atlanta Children’s Shelter. From left: Aseelah Williams, Development Coordinator, Atlanta Children’s Shelter; Gabrielle McMahan, Business Process Specialist, Cintas; Vaughn Cross, Community Engagement Coordinator, Atlanta Children’s Shelter.

At the beginning of the 2020-2021 school year, Marist School opened the new Goizueta Center for Immersive Experience and Design as the centerpiece of the school’s STEAM 2.0 initiative. The Goizueta Center features spaces for students to explore subjects such as Robotics, Engineering, 3D Design and Printing, Virtual and Augmented Reality, Immersive Media and Media Studies, Podcasting, Broadcasting, Documentary Filmmaking, and Music Technology.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Atlanta (BBBSMA) recently held its 26th Annual Legacy Awards Gala at The St. Regis Atlanta and via livestream. The event raised over $500,000 through sponsorship, fundraising, and a live and silent auction. The 2020 Legacy Award Honoree was Jasmine Crowe (Goodr). The V. Thomas Murray Founder’s Award Recipient was Randall D. Tanner (Tanner, Ballew & Maloof) and the Defender of Potential Award Recipient was Dr. Monica Khan (Emory University Hospital Midtown). To learn more about Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Atlanta, visit bbbsatl.org.

Between the pandemic and the election, it’s been hard not to spend every free minute of 2020 doom-scrolling Twitter for the latest outrages and atrocities. The noise of the news has wreaked havoc on my attention span so settling in to read a book seems a near impossibility. But television carries a lower barrier to entry and man I am ever thankful for the escape of The Tube this year.

The last episode of “The Sopranos” aired right before Elliott was born and that buttoned up any TV fandom Kristen and I enjoyed for years. We rarely made it past “Sid the Science Kid” or “Dragon Tales” or the slew of programs that were educational for the kids yet lobotomizing for us. But now with extra quarantine time at home, we’ve tossed the mothballs aside and unpacked our right to sit on our butts and be entertained.

My favorites have been “Succession,” “Goliath,” “Broadchurch,” and “Love.” When did TV get sooo freakin’ good? The writing, the dialogue, the character development is all so fantastic. I never had the chance to watch the great shows of the past decade like “Game of Thrones” or “Breaking Bad” which to some was tantamount to living off the grid. Now I know why.

For PG-13 family togetherness we’ve recycled seasons of “The Office” and “Arrested Development.” I’m tickled that we all can laugh at the same humor nowadays. The characters of “Brooklyn 99” are basically our new best friends. For drama we started with “Outer Banks” which served up “90210”-esque cheesy fare on a beach. Two of the characters stowed away on a tugboat from the OBX to Chapel Hill in perhaps the most implausible plot line since David Silver’s career as a rap artist. Or the invention of maps. But the kids enjoyed it and it clipped off some days on the quarantine calendar so bring on Season 2!