ATLANTA — The City of Atlanta is presenting a new timeline for the Public Safety Training Center as Atlanta Police expands their efforts to catch alleged arson suspects who are opposed to the construction of the center.
According to the police, there were multiple arsons reported last year. On Tuesday, Jan. 16, in DeKalb County, opponents of the training center - who call it "Cop City" - allegedly set another fire, this time targeting construction equipment, as wind chill temperatures dropped into the single digits.
In a Wednesday news conference, Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum stated that the most recent arson involved construction equipment used for building the public safety training center.
Last month, police announced a reward of up to $200,000 to catch the alleged suspects with $20,000 for each arson fire.
“There is a very small group of ‘anarchists’ that want to impact the safety of Atlanta,” said Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum. “They are trying to undermine our ability to protect every citizen in Atlanta.”
Those opposed to the training center have protested and organized against it for nearly two years, under a loose constellation of groups under the banners of "Stop Cop City" and "Defend the Atlanta Forest." A RICO indictment brought by Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr has charged over 60 people for their involvement with the “Defend the Atlanta Forest” movement, though what level of organization — if any — that might exist between various factions of activists under this umbrella is not clear.
The protest movement mushroomed following the Jan. 2021 law enforcement shooting death of Manuel Teran, known as Tortuguita, during a clearing operation of the forest encampments where protesters first started opposing the training center's construction.
New Timeline for Atlanta Public Safety Training Center
The City of Atlanta announced in a Wednesday news release the completion of the training center is at 75% despite recent and past attacks disapproving of the center's construction. Actual construction of the buildings is just beginning.
City officials added that the center has an anticipated completion date at the end of this year in December.
“We are moving forward as planned and not allowing distractions to deter us from improving the safety of Atlantans by completing the public safety training center," said Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens.
In a recent update from the Atlanta Mayor Andre Dicken's office, partly because of recent attacks, the cost of the project has increased by $19.6 million, which includes the cost for more security.
Additionally, city officials said that taxpayers would "not bear the burden of these additional costs." Instead, the city expects private donors, who have been part of the project since the beginning, will pay the extra costs.
Billboard Campaign
Schierbaum mentioned the police plan to install billboards in nine cities throughout the nation, advertising the $200,000 reward, to try to to catch the suspected arsonists. In December, police believed that the suspects were connected to arsons across state lines.
The police chief declared their plan to display 450 billboards across various cities, including Detroit, Seattle, Nashville, New York, Minneapolis, and more.
Law enforcement authorities added they believe the billboards will help gather those who might know information that could lead to arrests in the arson cases.
This story continues below the photo.
Arrest made in South Carolina
Schierbaum said that authorities in Summerville, South Carolina, arrested a 23-year-old man who they believe has a “loose” connection to construction equipment that was set on fire in Atlanta.
Atlanta’s police chief said the man set equipment on fire and vandalized the construction equipment in South Carolina.
The man is facing arson and several other charges.
Past arson cases
Schierbaum said a youth center - mistaken for a police building - was the first arson they believe the group was involved in around May 2022. At the news conference, they showed video of the alleged suspects.
Police then took news reporters down a timeline of fires they believed to be connected to the arsonists.
In November, an arson was reported at a concrete company in Gwinnett County, with an online outlet aligned with the “Stop Cop City” opposition movement claiming responsibility. In that case, it was also unclear what ties the “Scenes from the Atlanta Forest” website has to the more publicly visible elements of the protest movement.
Police also reported three arsons earlier last year on McDonough Boulevard. Police clarified that the construction equipment was not linked to the building of the training center.
Authorities also included the incident where Atlanta Police motorcycles were destroyed in July 2023.
“Every time an arson is set, these individuals take credit and they take pride in it,” Schierbaum said.
Atlanta Fire & Rescue's James McLemore spoke at the Wednesday news conference where he spoke to the benefits of the public safety training center’s construction and the risks of arsons.