Much of Moore's opening speech hammered home the idea that she would address the city's crime problem. She said she would work to empower the city's police and in December released a memorandum that included several recommendations, according to a statement on her website.

“The year 2020 is coming to an end; however, efforts to address its outcomes are far from over. The city of Atlanta has witnessed crime at heights unseen in almost 22 years and we must reverse this dynamic immediately," she said in a statement.

"From the beginning of this term, I have promoted the concept of collaboration along with the free exchange of ideas and suggestions. While I wish the circumstances that brought us here were different, I am eager to collaboratively attack the issue of crime in our city – exceeding the vigor with which crime has attacked us."

Her recommendations included finding a permanent police chief, enforcing public safety as "a citywide right," and the resumption of operations of the municipal and county court systems.

"It is time to identify the leader who will carry the city’s primary law enforcement agency into the next era of world-class community-oriented policing. We must retain the exceptional talent housed within the Atlanta Police Department, supporting their performance, and incentivizing their commitment to keep all communities safe," Moore said.

"While it is understood that court operations will be modified to ensure employee/citizen safety during the pandemic, it is vital that we maintain synergies between the work of law enforcement and the court system as a deterrent to violent crime," her statement added.

She released the recommendation after outrage grew over a 7-year-old girl who was killed by a stray bullet.

In an interview with 11Alive last July, she sympathized with the Atlanta Police Department.

"I'm running to make every neighborhood safer. Every Atlanta resident should feel safe in their homes and communities, in their interactions with law enforcement and our police must be supported and empowered to do their jobs," she said on Thursday. "We must transform the culture of policing in Atlanta and address the social issues which truly are at the root of crime."

Erika Shields resigned as police chief of the Atlanta Police Department last summer after officers were seen on camera shooting
Rayshard Brooks to death. Rodney Bryant has been in place as interim police chief since then.

Crime figures dropped in 2020 but there was a 58% increase in homicides in 2020 compared to 2019, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

"I'm just seeing that citizens are shaken by the numbers of violent incidents that are taking place," Moore said in December.

"Some communities have been suffering from criminal activity that they've complained about and felt that they weren't getting attention for. Buckhead has certainly been very loud and vocal—because it’s Buckhead—about the uptick in crime that is happening there, and has gotten a lot of media attention, which causes some resentment in other communities where they feel that they have been also wanting to have more police presence and more protection,” Moore added.

Felicia-Moore

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