Georgia professors claim new police training facility will lead to ‘destruction’: ‘Blood on its … hands'

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Faculty members at historically Black colleges and universities are pushing back against plans to build a state-of-the-art police training facility, claiming that the project will lead to "destruction."

The Atlanta City Council approved in the fall 2021 the development of a $90 million 85-acre police training facility called the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center. The "state-of-the-art training facility" would have shooting ranges, a "mock village" for police training, a leadership auditorium and myriad other amenities.

While the facility is planned to be built less than 10 miles from four historically black colleges and universities, it has prompted opposition from critics who call the project a "Cop City" that would lead to potential police brutality. Other critics claim that the facility will be harmful to the local environment.

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Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens speaks during a news conference at City Hall on Jan. 31, 2023. Dickens announced that the city had signed a memorandum of understanding with DeKalb County to proceed with building the $90 million Atlanta Public Safety Training Center. (AP Photo / R.J. Rico)

Morehouse College faculty sent a letter on Feb. 2 to Atlanta officials urging that the "Cop City" not be built.

"The proposal for a new police training facility was publicly announced in 2021, at a time when the nation was still reeling from the killing of George Floyd and a broad coalition of concerned citizens demanded that cities and states defund the police," the letter states. "In a city that is rapidly losing its famed tree canopy, the project is also environmentally disastrous; it would require the clearing of 85 acres of Atlanta’s lush South River Forest."

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The letter continues by saying the facility will lead to "more death" and that the project already has "blood" on its hands.

"Let us not delude ourselves: Cop City, if built, will result in more death and destruction at the hands of the police. Indeed, the Cop City project already has blood on its proverbial hands. On January 18, 2023, as authorities conducted a sweep of the forest site, police shot and killed protestor Manuel Terán, known among friends as ‘Tortuguita,’ under very suspicious circumstances. Details of the tragedy remain sparse. As we mourn Tortuguita’s death, we call for an independent and transparent investigation of the incident," the letter states. 

DeKalb County Police, according to Fox5 Atlanta, first described the shooting as "accidental" before the murder charge was filed. (DeKalb County Police Department)

In addition, Morehouse student activists got involved. They demanded that Morehouse President David Thomas denounce the training center as a board member of the Atlanta Committee for Progress, a group that advises the mayor and backed the training facility. The Spelman College president, who is also on the board, denied claims that Morehouse and Spelman donated to the development of the facility.

Students at Spelman also called for college President Helene Gayle to denounce the facility.

However, the Atlanta mayor and DeKalb County CEO announced that they reached an agreement to move forward with the plans.

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Per a press release sent by Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens’ office on Jan. 31, the partnership will ensure that the facility will "protect and enhance the surrounding environment" and foster de-escalation practices.

Billionaire Robert Smith donated $34 million to Morehouse College to pay off the student loan debt for its Class of 2019, the school said, following through on an earlier promise he made during a May commencement.

"The facility will not be built on a forest. The training center will sit on land that has long been cleared of hardwood trees through previous uses of the site," the press release said.

The press release also addressed concerns over policing.

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"Our training includes vital areas like de-escalation training techniques, mental health, community-oriented policing, crisis intervention training, as well as civil rights history, education," Dickens said at a City Hall press conference. "This training needs space, and that’s exactly what this training center is going to offer."