My friend Jeff Graham over at Georgia Equality sent out two major press releases yesterday asking questions of the Mayor and City Council about the Atlanta Police raid of the Eagle last Thursday.
While some of the questions are more, erm, operational in nature, I wanted to take some time to point out a couple that particularly vex me and other citizens of greater Atlanta. (Full Releases below the fold)
“Why were so many officers needed to investigate non-violent dancing when violent crimes are occurring all over the city?” – does it take 3 Paddy Wagons and dozens of police officers to issue a ticket?
“What specific evidence led to the initiation of the raid? What documentation exists detailing that evidence? Why has the reasoning for the raid shifted over time?” – it would appear that when one excuse didn’t pan out, the APD shifted to another. First it was overt sex acts in public that weren’t happening, then it was drugs, none were found, what next?
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Press Release
September 15, 2009 Jeff Graham, Executive Director jeff@georgiaequality.org 404.523.3070 voice 404.688.2638 fax
GEORGIA EQUALITY CALLS FOR MAYOR FRANKLIN AND CHIEF PENNINGTON TO ANSWER MORE QUESTIONS ABOUT ATLANTA EAGLE RAID
ATLANTA – Following Monday’s press conference by the Atlanta Police Department (“APD”) explaining that the recent raid at the Atlanta Eagle bar was the culmination of a nearly five-month-long investigation, Georgia Equality now calls on Mayor Shirley Franklin and Police Chief Richard Pennington to address additional questions and concerns about the developing situation.
“Members of Atlanta’s LGBT community have frequently given Mayor Franklin the benefit of the doubt for the last eight years, and now we expect some candor and honesty about the heavy-handed raid that occurred last week,” said Jeff Graham, executive director of Georgia Equality. “We call on the Mayor to come forward and explain how this raid makes the city any safer, and whether this was really a wise use of the city’s scarce resources during a economic downtown.”
Georgia Equality noted that while violent crimes have plagued area neighborhoods and tragically claimed the life of a Spelman College student in recent weeks, Chief Pennington announced Monday that the city’s police have been working since May, in part, to investigate men dancing in their underwear. “The APD needs to explain why it is that their leadership chose to focus on things such as Go-Go Boy dancing, while at the same time muggers were attacking Georgia Tech students, and drug deals and prostitution continued unabated outside City Hall East.”
Georgia Equality also noted with concern that Chief Pennington said Monday the initial complaints about activities at the Atlanta Eagle were funneled through the Mayor’s Office.
“Atlanta deserves to know exactly who in the Franklin Administration played a role in orchestrating this raid, and what evidence they purported to have,” Graham said.
Georgia Equality expressed its concern for the bar patrons and employees who lived through the raid on Sept. 10, noting that none of the 62 patrons present during the raid was found to be engaged in any sex acts, nor in possession of contraband.
“Civil rights and common decency should not be thrown out the window over men dancing in their underwear and alleged non-violent conduct, even if criminal issues are possibly afoot,” Graham said. “Atlanta, as a city, can do better than this, and should strive to be a leader in the area of public safety.”
Georgia Equality called upon Mayor Franklin and Chief Pennington to explain:
‚Ä¢ What concrete steps (such as written policies) will the Police Chief take to ensure that the APD’s LGBT Liaison Offer Dani Lee Harris is notified in advance and involved in the coordination and execution of future police actions affecting the LGBT community?
• How is the city any safer since the raid?
• What percentage of the officers on duty the night of September 10 participated in the raid?
• Why were so many officers needed to investigate non-violent dancing when violent crimes are occurring all over the city?
• How much did this raid cost taxpayers? What is the cost per charge/violation? How many work hours went into the investigation leading up to and the execution of the raid?
• What specific evidence led to the initiation of the raid? What documentation exists detailing that evidence? Why has the reasoning for the raid shifted over time?
• What actions were taken and what language was used by police during the raid and how were patrons treated?
• What training, if any, had the officers who participated in the raid received regarding LGBT community sensitivity and did they follow such training, written procedures, or policies?
• Why were individual arrested and held in custody 19 hours for ordinance violations?
• What guarantees will the APD make to ensure that the LGBT press, such as Southern Voice and Project Q Atlanta, are kept up to date as the investigation goes forward?
“A full, unbiased, and objective investigation of this raid needs to occur quickly before the Mayor and Chief Pennington leave office in the coming months,” Graham said. “Our public officials must be held accountable for their actions and decisions with regard to public safety, the civil rights of Atlanta citizens, and the allocation of precious city resources during an economic downturn. The raid raises questions and concerns in all three of these areas which have yet to be properly addressed.”
— END
September 15, 2009;
Mayor Franklin:
Last week’s Atlanta Police Department (“APD”) raid of the Atlanta Eagle raised a number of questions and concerns which are important, not only to members of the LGBT community, but to the citizens of Atlanta at large. The raid raises concerns about the city’s commitment to public safety, the civil rights of members of the LGBT community, and the city and APD’s management of scarce taxpayer revenue during an economic downturn.
While all of the facts regarding the raid remain unclear, certain details have become known. Twenty-one police officers and a five-month investigation led to the raid. During the raid, no drugs or other contraband were found on any individual and no illicit sex was observed. Instead, staff members were arrested and detained for nineteen hours for alleged ordinance violations.
In addition, it is also clear that in the last week of available crime data (8/30-9/5), the City experienced two murders, forty-two robberies, and thirty-eight aggravated assaults. In Zone 5, where the Atlanta Eagle is located, seven robberies and five aggravated assaults took place. While the crime statistics for the night of the raid are not yet available, it would be surprising if violent criminal activity was not occurring simultaneously with the raid.
On Monday, the APD held a press conference which generated more questions than answers. Georgia Equality calls upon the Mayor and Police Chief Pennington to investigate and fully explain a number of issues. First, the APD’s motivation, goals, and evidence that led to the initiation of the raid remain unclear and have had multiple shifting explanations over the past week. A full explanation of the events leading up to last week’s raid is required.
Second, eyewitness reports regarding how the raid was conducted are troubling on multiple fronts. Did police treat individuals with dignity and were all Fourth Amendment and other civil rights safeguarded? Why was the raid conducted with twenty-one officers when no violent criminal activity was suspected and why was the APD’s LGBT Liaison not notified of the raid in advance? What level of force was necessary to conduct the raid and what level was used? A full examination into the manner in which the raid was conducted is needed to ensure that all APD policies were followed and individuals’ civil rights were not violated. This investigation should also analyze whether internal APD policies, procedures, and/or training need to be changed going forward.
Finally, the raid raises serious questions regarding the management of the APD with respect to utilization of scarce resources to safeguard the community at large. The APD and the City must explain to the citizens of Atlanta how much the raid and investigation cost taxpayers and justify those costs in light of current budget issues. Further, the fact that a raid was conducted at all when no violent crime was suspected raises serious concerns about APD management given the rise of violent crime and property theft throughout the City and the lack of police resources to properly protect Atlanta’s citizens.
In all, Mayor Franklin and Chief Pennington must account for the motivations and evidence that led to an apparently unnecessary raid, the manner in which the raid was conducted and the treatment of ordinary citizens, and the costs and benefits of investing scarce public resources to the raid when the APD, and the City as a whole, are dealing with dire budget shortfalls.
Sincerely,
Jeff Graham
Executive Director
Georgia Equality
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