ATLANTA (AP) — Opponents of an Atlanta police and fire training center exulted as they marched into City Hall in September with 16 boxes of petitions to force a referendum on the issue. “116,000 signatures — can you hear us now?” they asked, confident they had enough.
But an analysis by four news organizations finds the outcome — if city officials ever count the petitions — could be decided by a narrow margin.
Organizers of the monthslong petition drive to “Stop Cop City” still say they have 116,000 signatures, but a hand count by The Associated Press, Georgia Public Broadcasting, WABE and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution tallied only about 108,500.
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The news organizations found nearly half of a statistical sample of 1,000 entries couldn’t be matched to an eligible registered city of Atlanta voter. Some signers live outside the city, some seemingly fabricated addresses, and others provided far too little information — like the “Lord Jesus” who signed with an address of “homeless.”
Even with those problems, the analysis finds it’s still statistically possible that organizers met their target of 58,231 signatures. But additional legal and procedural disputes could doom the effort by sharply shrinking the total of eligible signers.
The fight over the $90 million training center has become a national dispute, with opponents deriding a facility they say will worsen police militarization and harm the environment.
Kate Falanga, a bar manager who signed the petition, called the proposed project “awful” and said the land — part of a huge urban forest — should be used for something that’s “better for everyone.”
“There’s a lot better ways to spend that than on militarizing a police force which is already an incredible presence and seems kind of unnecessary,” Falanga said.
Supporters including Democratic Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens say the city must replace outdated facilities and better train officers to avoid…
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