Mayor Introduces New BeltLine Path Force Unit
Mayor Kasim Reed addresses the crowd.
Mayor Kasim Reed formally introduced the new 15-person BeltLine Task Force bicycle patrol unit at a press conference today at Historic Fourth Ward Skatepark.
“The BeltLine will be secure,” Reed said during his comments. “We are going to do whatever we can in my administration to make it safe and keep it safe.”
The Mayor acknowledged the critical importance of the BeltLine to Atlanta’s social and economic future and pledged to do whatever is necessary to keep the project’s trails and parks safe, including additional lighting under bridges, video surveillance, and additional signage.
The BeltLine path force was funded by a $1.8 million federal grant which was contingent upon the APD using post-9/11 military veterans on the force. To comply with the grant requirement and still provide the most experienced possible force for the BeltLine, the APD promoted existing officers with military experience to the new Path Force while replacing those positions with recruits who also served in the military.
The new BeltLine Path Force patrol unit (bicycle and mounted).
Other dignitaries who spoke at the press conference included Atlanta Police Chief George Turner, Parks Commissioner George Dusenbury, and new Atlanta BeltLine, Inc. President and CEO Paul Morris.
Click here to read an AJC article about today’s press conference.
Click here to read an article about today’s press conference from the Atlanta BeltLine, Inc. website.
Click here to read a VaHi Patch article about today’s press conference.
The Voice was the only media present in June when the Path Force unit went through bicycle training at the offices of Diversified Metal Fabricators on Pylant Street in VaHi. Click here to read an article about and see photographs from the training.
Scroll down to see a few pictures from today’s press conference, or click here to see the entire online library of pictures from the conference.
