Today, the Atlanta City Council voted to pass Council Member Kelsea Bond’s Resolution 26-R-3234. This resolution urges the Atlanta Police Department to examine its arrest procedures and embrace diversion efforts as the presumptive response to many low-level offenses. As the FIFA World cup nears, this resolution will play a critical role in preventing further jail overcrowding while promoting a culture of community-based care.
In Atlanta, despite the city and county committing $5 million in taxpayer funding to pre-arrest diversion initiatives, the Center for Diversion Services and Police Alternatives and Diversion (PAD) have been tragically under-utilized. Only 1,514 diversions occurred in 2025 despite 10,500 diversions being projected per year.
“Black people too often bear the brunt of police enforcement of low-level offenses. Atlanta has invested in compassionate diversion efforts that should reduce criminalization for minor offenses, but only if its diversion services are used. It’s time for the city to follow through on its promise,” said Christina Kittle, Criminal Justice and Education Organizer at the Legal Defense Fund. “This resolution is a critical step towards promoting true safety instead of punitive systems of incarceration for low-level offenses. We applaud this vote, and now look to the whole of city government to deepen its commitment to diversion. As the FIFA World Cup nears and the threat of increased enforcement rises, this resolution is more important than ever.”
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