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Opponents Have an Ambitious New Plan to Doom Atlanta’s ‘Cop City’

The pricey police training facility could land on the ballot in November—if activists get 70,000 signatures by Aug. 15.

Activists in Atlanta are trying to put a controversial police training site up for a city-wide vote, the latest effort to block construction of the facility dubbed “Cop City.” The training center, which is slated to cost some $90 million, has faced sustained backlash from some residents, who decry the cost, environmental impact, and potential effect on aggressive policing in the city. Earlier this month, Atlanta’s city council approved $67 million for the facility. But a group of opponents wants to put the training site on the ballot in November. Last week, the group received city approval to circulate a petition to make Cop City a ballot item in November’s elections. The petition will need about 70,000 residents’ signatures by Aug. 15 to get on the ballot. Activists faced an uphill battle to get their petition approved, and they accused the city of denying multiple proposed petitions based on technicalities like formatting issues. The group sued the city to pressure it to accept the petition’s wording.