The City provided me with five pdf files that I have read. What follows is some poignant information in light of the City and Atlanta Police Department's posturing regarding whether or not licensed-to-carry citizens would be allowed to carry their firearms at the event.
1. From the file: "PEACH DROP 2017.pdf", the "Insured Company Name" is "City of Atlanta and Live Nation Worldwide, Inc. (Live Nation)."
It's interesting that both the City of Atlanta and Live Nation are listed there as a SINGULAR entity.
This same document also states the police as responsible for providing security, even though Sgt. Strozier with the Atlanta Police Department told that police would not be screening attendees for weapons, that only "private security" would be screening for weapons using hand-held metal-detecting wands.
2. From the file: "SIGNED 2017 PEACHDROP PERMIT.pdf" it states that the Peach Drop is a "City-sponsored event", and that "The Event will be executed on the City's behalf, by Live Nation Worldwide, Inc."
That means that Live Nation was a contracted agent of the City of Atlanta, and if the City could not ban lawfully carried firearm or other weapons (per state law OCGA 16-11-127) at the event, then neither could Live Nation, its contracted agent.
So in light of this, why was the Atlanta Police Department telling inquiring folks beforehand that weapons would not be allowed at the event, as Sgt. Strozier informed me when I spoke to him on the phone a couple of days before the event? He told that the police were "told" no weapons would be allowed. Who tells the police to do anything other than the Mayor's Office?
Nothing in any of the provided City documents mentions anything about weapons or firearms, and the Atlanta Police Department's bulletin for the event was edited a couple of days before the event to remove the word "firearms" from the list of prohibited items.
Yet, at least two people reported (see the Peach Drop thread over at Georgia Packing) that after the edit, Anne Torres, the City's Communication's Director replied to inquiring emails that weapons would not be permitted at the event, even if the carriers were licensed to carry.
Why, in light of all the above was the City of Atlanta telling the local news media that weapons would not be allowed at the event?
And had they detected any weapons (yes, the photo above is weapons screening at the event) on anyone with a carry license, would they have been prevented entry or ejected from the event? Perhaps the AJC can find out for us.
Do local Atlanta politicians just make up stuff as they go without regard for state law, or even their own documents and contracts?
Click here to see Chris Joyner's AJC article on how the City of Atlanta is responding to questions about the 2018 Peach Drop.
Click here to see Chris Joyner's AJC article on how the City of Atlanta is responding to questions about the 2018 Peach Drop.
Some may argue that no one needs a weapon at an event like this. What they fail to realize is that not everyone will be driving. Some will be only on foot, some on bicycles, some riding Marta (legal to carry firearms on Marta with a weapons license), so they will have no place to store their handguns and must therefore carry them on their persons into the event if they want to be able to defend themselves to and from the event.
ReplyDeleteHow many people do you suppose attend Stone Mountain Park's July 4th Fireworks Celebration? Twice in recent years, I've openly carried my holstered pistol on my hip at the event, with ZERO issues.
ReplyDeleteEVERYONE near me could see my pistol and see that I'm just a regular guy. At least I wore no uniform or badge. And everyone as far as I could tell was cool with it. Even the tourists from other countries.
Why would a Peach Drop in a public city park be any different?
See this from 2014 to see how sneakily the City of Atlanta deals with people. It looks like they are saying one thing, but mean another entirely. Just like this go-round with the Peach Drop.
ReplyDelete2014 Atlanta Peach Drop
And see how a high level police officer gives a tricky first answer before being pressed into finally fessing up:
Deputy Chief Scott Kreher was interviewed in public (the Twitter video link no longer works, but I believe it was by Channel 5 News) and here's how that went:
Interviewer: "What about guns? Are people allowed to bring guns?"
Kreher: "Well this is a permitted event by Live Nation, so anytime you have a permit issued by the city you are required to follow all state and local laws, so we expect them to do the same."
Interviewer: "Which means that you can bring guns."
Kreher: "Well that's up to Live Nation. It's their event, and we'll certainly follow whatever guidelines they have in their permit."
Even the interviewer at first thought the police were going to allow guns! He had to ask again just to make sure. Only then did the police FINALLY admit what they had planned ALL ALONG. And that was to NOT allow guns into the event.
Had the interviewer not followed up, the police would NOT have CLARIFIED anything!
Meant to state above that the interview with Deputy Chief Scott Kreher happened for this Peach Drop at Woodruff Park.
ReplyDeleteAnd this from 2012 where the City of Atlanta tried to ban lawfully carried guns on public streets!
ReplyDeleteIt took a response from Georgia Carry to get their attention and change their mind about that.
2012 Peach Drop
This has been a long standing pattern with the City of Atlanta violating state preemption weapons law. It's about time that HEAVY fines AND removal from office be included in the preemption law for officials that violate it.
Will the Georgia General Assembly strengthen state weapons preemption law to put a stop to these shenanigans by the City of Atlanta and other local governments in Georgia?
ReplyDeleteFor example, the City of Columbus forbids firearms carry in non-sterile areas of the airport, even though it has been legal under state law a few years now.
Phil your tenacity is awesome. Wish you were here in South Carolina
ReplyDelete