City of Atlanta says it will ‘enhance safety, enforce compliance’ after Edgewood shooting

Following a July 28 mass shooting that left one dead and 10 injured, the City of Atlanta announced a plan to “enhance safety, enforce compliance, support local businesses, and ensure a thriving nightlife district for residents and visitors.”

The Atlanta City Council on Monday, Aug. 4, adopted a resolution creating the Edgewood Corridor Public Safety Task Force, which was sent to Mayor Andre Dickens’ desk for his signature.

Dickens, members of his administration, the Atlanta Police Department and the Mayor’s Office of Film, Entertainment and Nightlife met with Edgewood business owners on Aug. 1 via Zoom.

In a press release on Monday morning, the city rolled out a list of short-term and long-term mitigation plans to address ongoing lawlessness on the Edgewood Corridor.

Short-Term Mitigation Plan

Effective immediately, the City has increased its public safety presence and introduced targeted measures to address crime and safety concerns along the Edgewood corridor:

• A task force convened by the Dickens Administration and Council member Liliana Bakhtiari is being planned, with legislation being introduced as early as today.
• Increased Police Presence: Directed patrol units and supplemental officers are deployed on key nights and during peak business hours to enhance visibility and deter crime. Staffing levels are adjusted based on real-time operational assessments.
• Targeted Enforcement & Interagency Coordination: APD is working with external agencies to focus on surrounding streets during weekends. Joint teams are conducting licensing and compliance checks for after-hours alcohol sales, occupancy limits, and food vending regulations.
• Legal Support: The City Solicitor’s Office has prioritized Edgewood-area offenses to strengthen prosecution and accountability in Municipal Court.
• Traffic & Mobility Adjustments: Transportation officials are improving late-night traffic flow and pedestrian safety at high-volume intersections near the corridor.

Long-Term Mitigation Plan

To create sustainable improvements in the area, the City is advancing several initiatives:

• Zoning & Code Enforcement: Efforts are underway to address unregulated gatherings on vacant lots and enforce commercial zoning and parking permit compliance.
• Infrastructure Enhancements: Plans are being evaluated to convert temporary bike lanes into permanent infrastructure, improving pedestrian safety and reducing congestion.
• Expanded Camera Network: Additional cameras will be installed to support ongoing monitoring and investigations.
• Legislative Solutions: The City is exploring policy changes to strengthen proactive enforcement and support long-term safety enhancements in the corridor.

“Edgewood Avenue is one of Atlanta’s most iconic cultural and nightlife destinations, and one night will not define one of the most popular areas on the Eastside. We are taking a balanced approach—providing immediate safety measures while working toward long-term solutions that protect businesses, patrons, and residents alike,” Dickens said in a statement. “This is about ensuring that everyone can enjoy the energy and creativity of this corridor without fear or disruption.”

However, not all the business owners on Edgewood are convinced of the city’s plan of action.

Grant Henry, owner of Sister Louisa’s Church of the Living Room and Ping Pong Emporium, posted on Facebook that the Aug. 1 meeting with business owners was “insulting, gaslighting, and grandstanding.”

In a lengthy post, Henry said: “City Hall invited business owners to an hour zoom yesterday that they ended after 30 minutes and they spent the majority of the time threatening the business owners and spanking us (without reason) to make sure we are all in compliance, which was a big insult to all of us on the street who attended the meeting. The message from City Hall was “Do better bar owners”.

Henry said the July 28 shooting and other incidents along Edgewood were squarely to blame on the city.

“This was negligence by City Hall for not protecting its streets and its citizens,” Henry said in the post. “This was a random after hour shoot out on a street which has been neglected by City Hall for years.”

The press release from the city included a list of “compliance and enforcement findings” concerning businesses along Edgewood. The release said “The City’s Department of Finance (DOF) Office of Revenue has intensified enforcement efforts to ensure business compliance in the corridor.”

The findings included:

• Seven businesses were cited for failure to comply with tax-by-the-drink reporting requirements. 

• Eighty-give businesses are currently compliant with occupational tax certificate requirements, while 29 are non-compliant.

• Twenty-seven businesses are compliant with alcohol licensing regulations, while 6 are non-compliant.

Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum said in a statement that Edgewood residents and business owners “will notice increased patrols during peak business hours, targeted enforcement of key regulations in partnership with external agencies and coordinated efforts to ease late-night traffic and safety concerns.”

“Looking ahead, the City is focusing on longer-term solutions like improving lighting, strengthening zoning enforcement and expanding camera network tools to help keep Edgewood safe, vibrant, and enjoyable for all,” Schierbaum said.

Sarah Oak Kim, co-founder of Our Bar ATL, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that she’s pleaded with city officials to do more to protect businesses and patrons along Edgewood Avenue. She said there needs to be a more visible police presence overnight on the weekends.

“I feel Edgewood kind of comes off like it’s a burden for the city,” Kim told the AJC. “They lump us in with the discarded and the forgotten and the displaced.”

The July 28 Edgewood incident capped a violent five-day period in the city with 37 people shot in 12 separate incidents, leaving two dead.

Dist. 58 Georgia House Rep. Park Cannon urged the Atlanta City Council at its Monday meeting to support the Georgia legislature in advocating for gun reform and seeking more funding from Georgia Main Street, a project that develops and revitalizes historic downtowns.

“There used to be some Main Street projects at the state level, and many of those went to rural counties, and we’re hopeful that we can ask for some more Main Street funding when we get back in the state legislature in January,” Cannon said. “If you hear us asking for those, please support them, and anything you can do in the meantime to show that we have tried will also be helpful. I do think that the issue with the shooting is because our state has decided that guns can be everywhere except for the state Capitol, and so as we do that work, we might get pushback, and we just need your support.”

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