Could Atlanta use a seventh police zone? Study request heads to Council

A proposal to study a seventh Atlanta police patrol zone has moved from repeated holds to unanimous committee backing. It is on City Council’s consent agenda for Monday, Oct. 19, with the meeting scheduled for 1 p.m.⁠[1][2][3]

Resolution 26-R-3941 would ask Atlanta Police, working with the mayor’s office and other city departments, to assess adding a zone to the six-zone system described in the proposal. It would not itself create another zone or set its boundaries.⁠[2]

The study would examine calls for service and response times, how workloads are distributed among existing zones, and potential boundaries for an additional zone. It would also assess staffing, equipment, facilities and budget needs, consider community engagement, and compare Atlanta with similarly sized metropolitan police agencies.⁠[2]

The resolution argues that population growth, increased commercial density and expanded development have put additional demands on police personnel and resources. Those are the proposal’s stated reasons for studying the question—not findings that a seventh zone is the answer.⁠[2]

The proposal calls for APD to present results and recommendations to the Public Safety and Legal Administration Committee within 120 days of adoption. That clock would run from adoption, not from the earlier committee holds.⁠[2]

Council returned the resolution as held on Oct. 5. Its new consent-agenda placement means it is scheduled for a single adoption motion with other unanimously supported items unless removed for discussion. The listing is not final Council approval.⁠[2][3]