Knowing Mayor Reed’s job isn’t easy is no excuse not to hold him to it. It’s true he already boasts an impressive shortlist of first-year accomplishments for which he should be praised.

But he seems to have neglected his most important campaign promise, one that now, unfortunately, defines the difference between Reed the candidate and Reed the mayor.

As a candidate, Reed was quick to attend Atlantans Together Against Crime rallies and proclaim that he’d be vigilant in fighting for better public safety. Even in his inaugural address, he said:

I would not be satisfying my responsibility as your Mayor without also addressing the root cause of crime… The foundation of my campaign was built on my promise to attack crime in this City. The foundation of my administration shall be built on my fulfillment of that promise.

With the 86th murder of 2010 occurring in Virginia Highlands just a week ago, Atlanta residents have reason to recall that promise and wonder what happened to it. The “Highlands” is not where one would expect someone to be gunned down outside his apartment. Shamefully, there are parts of the city where crime is prevalent, ignored in the news, and even “expected to some degree. The truth is, such violence should be unacceptable in any Atlanta neighborhood.

Thus far, Reed’s fulfillment of his promise has consisted of appointing George Turner as Chief of Police and bolstering the APD with 100 new officers and additional funding. Beyond those, the mayor has been remarkably silent. They’re accomplishments in their own right, but the police department merely manages a symptom (and they’re not perfect). Where then, exactly, is the mayor addressing the root causes of crime?

Even reopening and transforming Atlanta’s recreation centers into Centers of Hope does not inherently address the root of the problem. It must be connected to a broader vision in order to be an effective tool in deterring crime. Once they’re open, then what?

What Atlanta needs is a comprehensive plan that reaches beyond the APD to reduce crime. And we Atlantans need to unite behind that plan and keep Reed accountable.

A comprehensive approach that addresses the root causes of crime looks more like:

• Acknowledging the link between low graduation rates and crime and stepping in on Atlanta Public Schools.
• Advocating for mental health, drug and alcohol abuse rehabilitation programs.
• Creating jobs and stability to eliminate poverty.
• Defining “Community Policing” in a way that everyone understands rather than limiting it to a separate “Community Policing Unit” for select officers.
• Getting local business buy-in and corporate assistance to help fund critical social programs that contribute to a safer Atlanta, including recidivism.
• Fully staffing the 911 call center that has had “30 open positions,” seemingly, for years.
• Working to tune up the judicial system, including the juvenile justice system, and demanding more back-up from Fulton D.A. Paul Howard.
• Looking to other cities and emulating successful, if unorthodox, approaches (even Newark, NJ has shown successful use of cameras and gun shot detectors to reduce murders by 40%. Having even worked with the ACLU to address community privacy concerns.).

It’s understood that Mayor Reed does not have direct jurisdiction over the schools nor the courts, but if there’s one person best positioned to reach out and build coalitions, it’s the Mayor of Atlanta. Such a coalition, a “Coalition of Influencers” so-to-speak, could effect change based on mutual interest, common goals, and sound leadership.

Reed has demonstrated such leadership with the Georgia Legislature. Why not bring that a little closer to home? When violent crime is on the rise and Atlanta gets four listings in “America’s 25 Most Dangerous Neighborhoods,” there’s no time like the present.

Mayor Reed isn’t alone in his shortsightedness. We Atlantans, myself included, haven’t exactly sustained unity in holding him accountable. Atlanta’s diverse communities need a renewed commitment to come together across neighborhood boundaries.

There are parts of Atlanta where violent crime is par for the course and accepted as status quo. When a son, daughter, store clerk, or passerby is robbed, shot, and killed here, they don’t get 50 police officers showing up to canvass their neighborhood. They’d be lucky if it even made the evening news.

So let’s be honest, we hold a “crime awareness” rally in Virginia Highland it’s because we’re scared and pissed that violence has seeped into our neighborhood. Why? Because it’s not something we expect.are used to nor is it something we expect. When violence the relatively more affluent parts of town, it prompts us to take notice of what affects other parts of our city on a daily basis.

What we need to realize, as a community collective and one serious about reducing crime, is that when a store clerk in Bankhead is safe, then we’re all safe.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m a sucker for a good rally. The collective chorus of Atlanta citizenry has the power to hold Mayor Reed to his word. But the place for that is not in the Highlands; it is at City Hall. And the time is very, very soon.

If you are interested in doing just that, I ask you to RSVP to me directly as I pull together the date: kyle@atlantanstogether.org.