- Write City Council using this letter-writing tool
- Call City Council members using the script and call info below!
Call/email the Mayor and City Council and let them know that an $90 million Cop City is not what we need to keep our communities safe! Atlanta City Council should call a referendum on cop city to let the people of Atlanta have a voice!
If you don’t know which district you live in or who your city council members are, you can find information on your representatives here.
Below are some optional talking points for your message to City Council. Feel free to write your own script and talking points—the more personalized you can make your message, the better!
- My name is _____ and I am a resident and voter in Atlanta. I live in City Council district ______.
- I oppose the lease of public land to the privately owned, corporate-funded Atlanta Police Foundation. Voters are paying close attention to your stance on the cop academy, and issues related to policing and incarceration. Like Joyce Sheperd, we will vote you out!
- This project has attracted nationwide negative publicity to the city of Atlanta. It is a lopsided project that will benefit corporations and developers while harming citizens.
- Cops and cop academies do not keep people safe! This training facility will be used to train cops to better use violent repression tactics against Atlanta civilians, weapons and explosives testing, and dangerous shooting ranges. There is NO evidence this project will train cops in much-needed de-escalation tactics.
- The city must use these funds instead to address the housing crisis through creation of affordable housing, addressing systemic inequality with better public services, attracting community gardens and farm-share programs to serve the many food deserts, improving inefficient public transportation, invest in healthcare to close the gaps created by the closure of Wellstar, and aiding our homeless communities who feel the effects of increased wealth disparity the most.
- The approval of the Atlanta Police Foundation project lacked a democratic process. The surrounding residents in DeKalb county were not consulted prior to this proposal to lease the land. City Council has a responsibility to seek community input when making decisions (including renters and low-income community members, NOT just homeowners and the business community, or a sham “task-force”!)
- We are asking that you support holding a binding referendum on Cop City to be put on the ballot in this November’s elections. Let the residents of Atlanta democratically decide whether they believe this is what’s best for their city. If we do not hold a referendum, it only underscores that the city is forcing this project on the city in an undemocratic and authoritarian fashion.
To call individual Council Members outside of the public comment period, use the following contact info below. Find your city council representative and district information here.
Mayor Andre Dickens (voted in support of the project in 2021) adickens@atlantaga.gov • (404) 330-6004 Bryan Thomas Communications Director, Mayor Dickens BrThomas@atlantaga.gov Council President • Doug Shipman dshipman@atlantaga.gov • (404) 330-6052 At-Large 1 • Michael J Bond (voted in support of the project in 2021) mbond@atlantaga.gov • (404) 330-6770 At-Large 2 • Matt Westmoreland (voted in support of the project in 2021) mwestmoreland@atlantaga.gov • (404) 330-6302 At-Large 3 • Keisha Sean Waites kwaites@atlantaga.gov • (404) 330-6041 District 1 • Jason Winston jwinston@atlantaga.gov • (404) 330-6039 District 2 • Amir Farokhi arfarokhi@atlantaga.gov • (404) 330-6038 District 3 • Byron Amos bdamos@atlantaga.gov • (404) 330-6046 District 4 • Jason Dozier jdozier@atlantaga.gov • (404) 330-6047 District 5 • Liliana Bakhtiari Lbakhtiari@atlantaga.gov • (404) 330-6048 District 6 • Alex Wan awan@atlantaga.gov • (404) 330-6049 District 7 • Howard Shook (voted to support the project in 2021) hshook@atlantaga.gov • (404) 330-6050 District 8 • Mary Norwood mnorwood@atlantaga.gov • (404) 330-6051 District 9 • Dustin Hillis (voted to support the project in 2021) drhillis@atlantaga.gov • (404) 330-6044 District 10 • Andrea Boone (voted to support the project in 2021) aboone@atlantaga.gov • (404) 330-6055 District 11 • Marci C. Overstreet (voted to support the project in 2021) mcoverstreet@atlantaga.gov • (404) 330-6054 District 12 • Antonio Lewis anlewis@atlantaga.gov • (404) 330-6053