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Atlanta committee backs resolution to boost diversion use, asks APD for monthly reporting
Summary
The Public Safety and Legal Administration Committee voted to advance a substitute resolution urging the Atlanta Police Department to prioritize community-based diversion for eligible low-level offenses and provide monthly transparency on diversion use; speakers from Fulton County, public health and advocacy groups urged action ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Chair Andrea Boone opened the Public Safety and Legal Administration Committee meeting on Feb. 23, 2026, where the committee advanced a substitute resolution asking the Atlanta Police Department to align enforcement with city policy favoring pre-arrest diversion and to report monthly on diversion metrics.
The resolution, introduced by Councilmember Kelsey Bond and substituted by the committee, asks APD to examine procedures so diversion is the default for eligible low-level offenses, encourages use of citations and community-based diversion in lieu of custodial arrests, and requests regular transparency on diversion trends. The committee voted to move the substitute forward with three yeas and one abstention.
Why it matters: Multiple speakers — including Fulton County Commission Chairman Rob Pitts, health care providers and advocacy groups — warned that Fulton County Jail is overcrowded and that Atlanta’s Center for Diversion Services is underused. Pitts told the committee the diversion center was built to handle roughly…
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