Atlanta mayoral candidate and City Councilman Andre Dickens said he will address Atlanta’s violent “crime wave” with several proposals shared in his newest campaign video.
“I grew up here in Adamsville, and I had to navigate all kinds of dangers to make it,” Dickens said in a video. “We must support our officers while holding them accountable.”
Dickens faces several challengers in the Nov. 2 race, including two fellow council members, Dentons attorney Sharon Gay, and former mayor Kasim Reed. Dickens entered the race after just days after Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announced she would not seek reelection.
In the video, Dickens says he wants to rebuild 911 call centers to improve emergency response times. He wants to install more license plate readers and streetlights, and he also pledged to revoke licenses at clubs and bars that violate the law. Additionally, Dickens said wants to fight poverty by creating job opportunities. He said his free technology program alone has created jobs that pay up to $70,000 a year.
Dickens promised to expand youth engagement and cited the work done with his “Midnight” Basketball League in that regard. He also said the city would create boxing and mentoring opportunities for the city’s young people.
“And lastly, we will fight crime by fighting corruption. Because corruption is a crime,” Dickens said.
“We’re moving forward, not backwards. Let’s go to the future.”
By Wilborn P. Nobles III, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution