The Atlanta Police Department (APD) currently has all 8 Can't Wait policies reflected in their standard operating procedures. #8CANTWAIT is a campaign by Project Zero calling for eight specific use of force policies to be adopted by police departments with the goal of reducing killings by police. Although a review of these use of force policies was one component of the Bottoms Administration’s efforts to reform our police department’s policies, the City of Atlanta has gone beyond these eight policies to identify additional areas for improvement. These reform efforts have been informed by the Use of Force Advisory Council and an internal APD working group with members across all ranks and covering all zones of the force.

The Bottoms Administration recognizes the importance of incorporating policy reforms into APD’s training plans. Most recently, the duty to intervene policy update was included in APD’s quarterly training for top leadership and will be part of a larger training roll-out for recruits, civilian staff, and command staff. Mayor Bottoms has also called for a “top to bottom” review of policing in the City of Atlanta, which will include a focus on training needs.

Currently, APD requires ~70% more training than the national average of state and local law enforcement and ~90% more training than State of Georgia requirements. Key additions to the APD training curriculum (in training hours) compared to state and national averages include:

• LGBT citizen interaction & crisis intervention
• De-escalation
• Body worn camera training

The Bottoms Administration does not support reducing the Atlanta Police Department’s budget; the majority of APD’s budget is dedicated to salaries, pensions, worker compensation, and capital costs. However, Mayor Bottoms agrees with the need to reallocate City funds towards social services and support and community enhancement initiatives. To that end, the Mayor’s FY21 budget lays the groundwork for redeploying resources from the Department of Corrections to frontline needs across the city.

Yes.The Atlanta Citizen Review Board (ACRB) was established by City Ordinance in 2007 to provide citizen oversight of misconduct accusations against sworn members of the police and corrections departments in the City of Atlanta. It provides a credible, independent forum where complaints and accusations can be assessed. The ACRB is comprised of fifteen members, selected from various constituencies throughout the City. The selection process is designed to reflect the diversity and interests of a broad spectrum of the community.

Yes, the Atlanta Police Department (APD) has been accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA®) since March 2005. Only 729 law enforcement agencies are CALEA accredited out of over 17,000 state and local agencies (or less than 5%). APD also maintains compliance with an additional 19 State of Georgia Law Enforcement Certification Standards.

The CALEA Accreditation program provides public safety agencies with the opportunity to voluntarily meet an established set of professional standards. These standards require:

• Comprehensive and uniform written directives that clearly define authority, performance, and responsibilities
• Reports and analyses to make fact-based and informed management decisions
• Preparedness to address natural or man-made critical incidents
• Community relationship-building and maintenance
• Independent review by subject matter experts
• Continuous pursuit of excellence through annual reviews and other assessment measures

CALEA is considered the gold standard in public safety.  During the four-year accreditation award cycle, APD must maintain compliance with 363 applicable standards, keep its proofs of compliance up-to-date, and live by the letter and spirit of those standards.  CALEA Compliance Service Members conduct annual web-based assessments and review all assessment documentation prior to the agency's site-based assessment.  On a quadrennial basis, a team of CALEA-trained assessors conduct a site-based assessment to determine compliance withstandards, review operations, conduct a public information session, andrport its findings to the Commission for final determination of accreditationstatus.

APD has an upcoming CALEA quadrennial site-based assessment from November 16-18, 2020.

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APD’s Community Oriented Policing Section (COPS) builds community partnerships to reduce crime and increase safety. Some of the primary programs managed by the COPS section include:

Police Athletic League (PAL)

The Atlanta Police Athletic League (PAL) is a nonprofit organization established in 1983 as a community partnership between APD, NPU’s, community investors, and business associations. Atlanta PAL serves youth between 8-18 years of age by implementing constructive, carefully planned athletic and academic activities aimed at teaching moral, civic, academic and social principles in a safe and nurturing environment.

LGBTQ Liaison Unit

The LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer) Liaison Unit’s goal is to improve the relationship between the LGBTQ community and the Atlanta Police Department. In April 2018, APD launched its first-ever LGBTQ Citizens Police Academy, a specialized program facilitated by APD’s LGBTQ Liaison Unit officers. The program consisted of information on core Citizens Police Academy topics including homicide, human trafficking, use of force and more. All of the topics were accompanied by conversations on the challenges faced by the LGBTQ community and how to better partner with police.

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