Roswell closes Economy Hotel after trafficking probe, relocates residents and opens investigation

Roswell officials announced the Economy Hotel was closed this month after a criminal investigation and a fire‑marshal safety inspection that uncovered what the city called serious life‑safety defects and substandard living conditions.

City Administrator Randy Knighton, Police Chief Jim Conroy and Fire Chief Pavel Troche told the City Council the decision followed an investigation that led to the arrest of six adults on charges including human trafficking and exploitation of minors. Police Chief Conroy said the probe showed “egregious crimes” and warned, “If you participate in or operate a business that exploits the most vulnerable of our populations, we’ll be coming for you also.”

Fire Chief Troche described structural and safety problems discovered on inspection: rusted and fractured stairs, a nonfunctional elevator, missing smoke detectors, exposed live electrical wiring, expired extinguishers and an inoperative fire suppression connection. Troche said the hotel has 29 rooms and that initial records were inconsistent; staff found rooms with multiple occupants and could not reliably verify counts. He said the hotel was sealed, a fence installed and private security engaged while Roswell police patrol the site.

Officials said the city and partners moved quickly to find housing and services. Troche reported 93 units requested assistance, with an estimated 27 adults and 49 children among the displaced; he said requests for assistance were “100% completed.” The city said it provided on‑site intake, transportation, food, hygiene kits, emotional‑support pet assistance and mental‑health contacts. City staff credited nonprofits and county partners — naming Drake House, Fulton County School System, Fulton County Continuum of Care and others — for helping residents, especially schoolchildren who staff tried to keep in their existing schools for the final weeks of the school year.

Mayor Kurt Wilson and staff described an interagency operation that included a command center at the Public Safety Summit Building and daily briefings. Finance staff said the city immediately committed $25,000 for emergency assistance; Fire Chief Troche said community donations and partners had raised roughly $37,000 in addition to city funds.

Council members praised staff response. Pro Tem Lee Hills said the hotel address was among the city’s highest call‑volume locations, and Council member Christine Hall and others commended the “compassionate” rehousing operation. Several residents who spoke at the meeting also thanked first responders and volunteers.

City officials said the fire marshal’s inspection found violations that required the hotel to be shut “as soon as practically possible.” City staff said the building will remain sealed while police maintain the scene and the city evaluates follow‑up enforcement and inspections for similar properties.

Troche said the scope of the response had no close national playbook: “I don’t know of any municipality in the country that has gone through these efforts to ensure that the community was taken care of,” he told the council. He and Knighton said the city has been expanding inspections and enforcement capacity and will target properties linked to human‑trafficking or persistent substandard conditions.

The city did not propose a criminal or civil case outcome at the meeting; council members said they will continue to press for enforcement and for steps to prevent similar problems. Knighton and the chiefs said the operation will be followed by continued inspections and coordinated enforcement using code, fire and police resources.