Business owners and some national entertainers, like Killer Mike and 2 Chains, in Atlanta are pushing back against a proposed ordinance that would close businesses that have continued crime like shootings and homicides.
The question is, is the proposal fair, and will it target black businesses more than others?
The proposal targets the “Nuisance Properties,” where police say they are tired of repeatedly getting calls for the same locations.
Authorities in Atlanta think businesses should take some of the responsibility for attracting crime and be shut down as a result.
Like a Hookah Bar near downtown Atlanta that has had years of shootings and homicides, the police have had to be called 171 times, exhausting their efforts.
Business owners think this ordinance is unfair because of who the ordinance would target and not target.
Proponents like the Mayor of Atlanta, Andre Dickens, agree with the measure stating that it would make businesses police themselves better.
Opponents think the law will not treat businesses fairly like the popular Lenox Plaza (Lenox Mall), which has had its share of multiple crimes, including shootings and murders. Opponents think Lenox would not be treated as a bad actor vs. some of the city’s other businesses.
While Atlantra already has a Nuisance law in place the controversy is that an amendment will be added to shut businesses down based on incidnets. One proposal would shut down a business if it gets three incidents in 18 months as a reason for the city to step in and close the business’s doors.
