Mayor Andre Dickens addresses Jewish community on family, safety and housing

Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens is determined to make Atlanta the best place to raise a family by 2030. It’s his “north star,” he told the Jewish community Tuesday at the Midtown Jewish Federation.

Interviewed by Temple Rabbi Peter Berg, Dickens said his priorities were investing in youth, public safety and affordable housing.

Dickens described his job as managing competing interests at all levels. While some voters prioritize small businesses, others want more transportation, less crime or better housing options.

“We all want to be connected to good things. You want to be connected to a grocery store and retail, you want to have good schools, you want to be able to access a good park. You start adding up all these things. You want to be healthy,” he said. “Overall, I want Atlanta to be the best place to raise a family.”

After walking through Dickens’ recent efforts, including expanding MARTA by four stations, his dedication to youth programs and workforce, and combatting homelessness through innovative housing, Berg s is focused on public safety.

The Jewish community has been feeling nervous since protests against the war between Israel and Hamas began in October 2023.

Opponents of the Public Safety Center operating under the name “Stop Cop City” joined “Free Palestine” protesters in the fall. Protests intensified on the campus of Emory University and other campuses across the United States in April.

In March, the Atlanta Civic Circle reported that protesters had approached Dickens’ home. Berg said the crowd threatened that if the mayor did not stop the project, they would break into his house “the same way Hamas raped Israel on October 7.”

“I wonder if you take these threats seriously?” » asked Berg.

“When it becomes violent or when they harm property and people, you know, then you start to see an erosion of civility,” Dickens said. “We don’t want civility to be lost. We are trying to be more connected, more secure. We are trying to be a better society.

There are no crimes without victims, Dickens said. He gave examples of acts of vandalism in the city: destruction of construction equipment during the expansion of a hospital, attempted Molotov cocktail set off in a youth center, spray painting of the church Ebenezer Baptist.

“Someone has to pay for these repairs,” Dickens said.

Dickens said the pendulum has swung in the opposite direction since the killing of George Floyd. In 2020, the public called for de-escalation training, followed by calls to defund the police, he said.

“I’ve lived in about seven houses. Five of them were robbed. Don’t tell me I don’t need police. I’ve had cars broken into, friends shot,” he said. “We need police and we need to support police. »

Berg ended the interview by thanking the mayor and police officers who protect the Jewish community “at a time when we have never needed a stronger security presence.”

“We have Atlanta Police officers in our building at all times and we are truly grateful for the support you provide to our entire community,” Berg said.