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ATLANTA, Ga. (CBS46) – On Monday, Atlanta city leaders are expected to meet with business owners to discuss a proposed ordinance that could potentially shut down businesses that have seen repeated gun violence.
If this ordinance is passed, the city would have the authority to close establishments with two or more violent conduct reports at nuisance properties within two years, according to officials.
The ordinance also addresses the businesses in Atlanta that have avoided potential closures with loopholes, such as changing property ownership or business names.
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, Atlanta police and fire officials joined industry leaders and business owners at a nightlife training session on Saturday to discuss ways to keep the city safer.
As part of Atlanta’s nightlife division, Saturday’s training focused on de-escalation, active shooter situations and stopping life-threatening injuries at Atlanta nightclubs and businesses.
Mayor Dickens announced the initiative in April to help curb violence in and around the city’s nightclubs.
“We want to see this city thrive. This nightlife economy is important to Atlanta and for people to have great, safe and exciting places to go,” said mayor Dickens.
This meeting comes over a month after police say a triple shooting at a Buckhead restaurant claimed the life of one man and injured two others. Among those injured included prominent Atlanta music executive and rapper Ludacris’ manager Chaka Zulu.
Atlanta rapper and prominent community activist Killer Mike, who owns several properties in the city, has spoken out against the potential ordinance in the past.
Killer Mike, whose real name is Michael Render, stressed to the Public Safety Committee of the Atlanta City Council in May that he didn’t want small clubs, which he described as the backbone of Atlanta’s hip hop industry, to be unfairly targeted with the proposed ordinance.
Mayor Dickens initially began the nightlife division to train bars, clubs and restaurant workers on how to keep their establishments, customers and staff safe.
Industry leaders told CBS46 that training is important in order to keep the violence away from their businesses.
“We have a lot of customers that come in from concerts and things of that nature and they may have already been drinking, with that being said to help our staff be able to deal with this type of situation and lets our leaders de-escalate those situations, we plan to train our staff,” said Rosie’s Cafe Exec chef.
In July, the Atlanta Police Department held a city-wide neighborhood safety training in an effort to help reduce crime and keep residents and visitors safe.
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