2021 AND THATS AFTER LAST YEAR
WAS THE DEADLIEST IN THE CITYS
RECORD.
JOINING US NOW, ATLANTAS MAYOR
KEISHA LANCE BOTTOMS.
MAYOR, MORE THAN HALF THE
RESIDENTS WHO CAN GET THE SHOT
HAVENT.
WHO ARE YOU REACHING, WHY ARENT
THEY, AND WHATS YOUR STRATEGY?
>> ITS VERY DISAPPOINTING,
STEPHANIE, THERE IS HESITANCY
OBVIOUSLY ACROSS THIS STATE
RIGHT NOW.
YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER THIS IS
STILL, IN SO MANY PLACES IN THE
STATE, STILL A HEAD STATE, SO WE
KNOW THERE IS HESITANCY ON THE
FAR RIGHT, BUT ALSO MANY
MINORITY COMMUNITIES ARE STILL
VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE
VACCINE, AND WE KNOW THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT OF THOSE
HISTORICAL CONTEXT OF THOSE
CONCERNS, OF LONGSTANDING DIS
DISSONANT TRUST OF VACCINES, SO
WE ARE CONTINUING TO EDUCATE
PEOPLE.
IVE BEEN FULLY VACCINATED AS
WELL AS MY HUSBAND, MY MOTHER,
AND TWO OF MY TEENAGERS ARE
FULLY VACCINATED.
AND SO ITS GOING TO BE
IMPORTANT FOR TRUSTED VOICES IN
OUR COMMUNITY, WHETHER IT BE
ELECTED OFFICIALS OR MINISTERS
OR TEACHERS, AND IN THIS CASE,
THE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
STATES SPEAKING DIRECTLY TO OUR
COMMUNITIES, LETTING PEOPLE KNOW
THAT IT IS SAFE AND IN THEIR
BEST INTERESTS TO RECEIVE THIS
VACCINE.
>> AND AS THINGS -- I MENTIONED
IN OUR COUNTRY OPENING UP, WE
ARE SEEING THIS SPIKE IN CRIME.
WERE SEEING IT As KROCROSS THE
COUNTRY BUT ALSO IN YOUR CITY.
WERE GOING INTO THE HEAT OF THE
YEAR.
WHAT ARE YOU DOING ABOUT IT?
>> WERE DOING EVERY SINGLE
THING WE CAN DO ABOUT IT.
YESTERDAY I HAD A BRIEFING FROM
THE SPECIAL ASSISTANT IN CHARGE
WITH THE FBI.
WE ARE LOOKING FOR OUTSIDE
SUPPORT AND RESOURCES, WORKING
WITH ALL OF OUR PARTNERS, BUT
YOURE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
UNFORTUNATELY, THIS IS A SPIKE
THAT WERE NOT JUST SEEING IN
ATLANTA, WE ARE SEEING IT ACROSS
THE COUNTRY.
IM TALKING TO MAYORS IN CITIES
REALLY BIG AND SMALL, AND WE ARE
ALL GRAPPLING WITH THE SAME
ISSUES. IN ATLANTA SPECIFICALLY, WE HAVE
IN ATLANTA SPECIFICALLY, WE HAVE
REALLY PUT A PUSH TOWARDS GIVING
OUR YOUNG PEOPLE VOTING THIS
SUMMER.
OUR SCHOOL WAS CLOSED FOR THE
ENTIRE SCHOOL YEAR, AND THERE IS
THE MENTAL PIECE AS WELL.
PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN AND THE
AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN SET ASIDE
$5 BILLION TOWARD VIOLENCE
PREVENTION PROGRAMS, BUT THERE
IS THE HERE ASKND NOW WE HAVE TO
DEAL WITH, BUT WE BELIEVE
GETTING 1,000 PEOPLE TO WORK
THIS SUMMER WHICH WEVE HAD
GREAT SUCCESS WITH WILL HELP.
BUT THERE IS STILL SO MUCH WORK
TO BE DONE, AND UNTIL WE DEAL
WITH THE SYSTEMIC ISSUES OF GUN
VIOLENCE IN THIS COUNTRY, HOW
EASILY YOUNG PEOPLE, PEOPLE WITH
MENTAL ILLNESSES CAN ACCESS GUNS
IN THIS COUNTRY, IM AFRAID THIS
WILL NOT BE THE LAST SUMMER WE
ARE HAVING THIS CONVERSATION.
>> YOUVE CALLED THIS A COVID
CRIME WAVE, BUT KILLINGS ARE UP
50% FROM BEFORE COVID.
WHERE IS THIS COMING FROM?
>> WELL, I THINK THERE ARE A
COUPLE OF THINGS YOU HAVE TO
COMPARE.
REMEMBER, IN GEORGIA, WE WERE
OPENED UP BEFORE THE REST OF THE
COUNTRY, EVEN BEFORE THE CDC
SAID THAT IT WAS SAFE FOR US TO
OPEN.
SO OUR NIGHTCLUBS AND OUR BARS
REMAIN OPEN.
WE HAVE PEOPLE TRAVELING HERE
FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO PARTY
IN OUR CITY.
SO WE BELIEVE OUR NUMBERS ARE
FROM 2015, WHICH THEY ARE STILL
UP.
AGAIN, THIS IS AN ISSUE HAMG IN
HAPPENING IN CITIES ACROSS THE
COUNTRY.
IF IT WERE AN ATLANTA ISSUE
ALONE, THEN I WOULD KNOW THERE
WAS SOMETHING WE WERENT GETTING
RIGHT ADDRESSING THIS ISSUE.
BUT WHEN IM TALKING TAMAEO MAYO
AND HEARING FROM MAYORS IN
CITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY IN
LARGE, URBAN AREAS, WERE ALL
EXPERIENCING THIS, SO WE HAVE TO
WORK TOGETHER TO FIND A SOLUTION
TO THIS GUN VIOLENCE THAT IS
GRIPPING OUR NATION.
COVID LEFT A LOT OF PEOPLE
BATTERED AND BRUISED, NOT JUST
PHYSICALLY, BUT ALSO
EMOTIONALLY. AND WHAT WE ARE SEEING, WHICH IS
AND WHAT WE ARE SEEING, WHICH IS
A VERY DISTURBING TREND, ARE
DOMESTIC
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CASES ARE UP
SIGNIFICANTLY, THE NUMBER OF
SHOOTINGS WERE SEEING ARE
BETWEEN PEOPLE WHO ARE
ACQUAINTANCES, AN INABILITY OR
UNWILLINGNESS TO SIMPLY RESOLVE
CONFLICT WITH WORDS, AND AGAIN,
WE ARE GOING TO DO EVERYTHING IN
OUR POWER TO GET TO THE OTHER
SIDE OF WHAT I DESCRIBE AS THIS
COVID CRIME WAVE, BUT IT REALLY
WILL TAKE US ALL WORKING
TOGETHER, ALSO WITH FEDERAL AND
NATIONAL SUPPORT ON THIS EFFORT.
WE HAVE SOME OF THE TIGHTEST GUN
LAWS RIGHT HERE IN ATLANTA.
>> LETS TALK ABOUT CURRENT
RESPONSE.
ATLANTAS POLICE CHIEF ANNOUNCE
AID RESTRUCTURING OF THE
DEPARTMENT.
ARE YOU SEEING OFFICERS HESITANT
TO SHOW UP TO SCENES AND RESPOND
BECAUSE OF THE HEIGHTENED
TENSIONS OVER THE LAST YEAR?
>> ABSOLUTELY NOT.
OUR OFFICERS ARE STILL SHOWING
UP TO DO THE JOB THAT THEY WERE
SWORN TO DO.
BUT LAW ENFORCEMENT ACROSS THE
NATION HAS REALLY HAD A
DIFFICULT TIME RETAINING AND
ATTRACTING PEOPLE INTO LAW
ENFORCEMENT.
WHAT WE ARE SEEING RIGHT NOW IN
ATLANTA, PEOPLE WHO ARE ELIGIBLE
FOR RETIREMENT IN PREVIOUS YEARS
PERHAPS WOULD HAVE CONSIDERED
STAYING ON THE FORCE A BIT
LONGER, PEOPLE ARE LEAVING THE
FORCE, AND AGAIN, THIS IS NOT
JUST HAPPENING IN ATLANTA, ITS
HAPPENING ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
SO OUR OFFICERS ARE STILL
SHOWING UP, DOING THE JOB THAT
THEY WERE SWORN TO DO, TRYING TO
PROTECT OUR COMMUNITIES.
BUT YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER,
STEPHANIE, LAW ENFORCEMENT SHOWS
UP AFTER A CRIME HAS BEEN
COMMITTED.
WE JUST HAD A SHOOTING RECENTLY.
THE SUSPECTS WERE APPREHENDED
WITHIN TEN MINUTES.
SO WE ARE MAKING THE ARRESTS,
BUT WHAT WE HAVE TO DO AS
LEADERS AND WHAT WE HAVE TO DO
IN COMMUNITIES ACROSS AMERICA,
WEVE GOT TO STOP THESE
SHOOTINGS FROM HAPPENING ON THE
FRONT END, AND ITS GOING TO
TAKE WORK FROM ALL OF US.
>> WE HAVE TO PROTECT OUR
COMMUNITIES, AND WE HAVE TO FIND
A WAY TO GET THESE GOOD MEN AND
WOMEN WHO ARE PART OF LAW
ENFORCEMENT TO WANT TO BE IN
THAT LINE OF WORK AND WANT TO
STAY IN IT.
YOU KNOW, I WAS GOING TO ASK YOU
ABOUT THIS.
YOURE ONE OF SEVERAL DEMOCRATIC
MAYORS NOT RUNNING FOR
RE-ELECTION.
FROM A PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE, I
CAN OBVIOUSLY SEE WHY,
ESPECIALLY GIVEN WHAT YOUVE
BEEN THROUGH IN THE LAST YEAR.
WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE THIS, AND
WHATS NEXT?
>> STEPHANIE, I CANT SAY THAT
IT WAS ONE THING IN PARTICULAR,
BUT JUST AS THOUSANDS AND MAYBE
EVEN MILLIONS OF PEOPLE ACROSS
THE COUNTRY HAVE REALLY
REFLECTED ON THIS LAST YEAR AND
HOW THEY WANT TO SPEND THE REST
OF THEIR LIVES, MY HEART FOR
SERVING MY COMMUNITY REMAINS.
IT WILL NEVER GO AWAY.
BUT FOR THIS SEASON, I DONT
THINK THAT I HAVE TO DO IT AS
MAYOR OF ATLANTA.
AND THE REALITY IS THIS.
THERE IS ALWAYS A DATE CERTAIN,
AT LEAST IN ATLANTA, WITH THE
TIME THAT YOU HAVE TO SERVE.
AND VOTERS GET TO DECIDE EVERY
FOUR YEARS AND SO DO ELECTED
OFFICIALS.
THE LAST YEAR WAS NOT WHAT I HAD
ANTICIPATED OR WOULD HAVE
SCRIPTED FOR MY TIME AS MAYOR,
BUT I AM VERY PROUD OF THE WORK
THAT WEVE DONE IN ATLANTA, AND
I CAN HOLD MY HEAD UP HIGH.
AND AS I CONTEMPLATE THE NEXT
SEASON OF MY LIFE, I KNOW THAT
ILL PASS THE BATON ON TO
SOMEONE ELSE WHO CAN CONTINUE
THE WORK THAT WEVE DONE ON
BEHALF OF OUR COMMUNITIES.
EVEN OUTSIDE OF COVID, ISSUES
REGARDING AFFORDABLE HOUSING,
MAKING SURE THAT PEOPLE HAVE
ACCESS TO TRANSIT, MAKING SURE
THAT OUR KIDS CAN GET A SOLID
PUBLIC EDUCATION, THOSE ARE
ISSUES THAT WILL REMAIN WHETHER