City officials assert that the center could improve policing, while critics claim the effort is militarizing police and endangering communities.
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"Cop City" is the nickname critics have given the planned training center. Authorities have argued that the center will help officers "set a national standard for community engagement, neighborhood sensitivity and devotion to the civil rights of all citizens by law enforcement," the center's website reads.
Protestors hold signs and march during demonstrations related to the death of Manuel Teran who was killed during a police raid inside Weelaunee People's Park, the planned site of a controversial"Cop City" project, in Atlanta, Jan. 21, 2023.Other groups, like Defend The Atlanta Forest, have argued that the center will impact forests which are a vital part of the community, they say. Atlanta has one of the highest percentages of tree canopy in any major U.S.
Neither the city of Atlanta, nor the police department have immediately responded to ABC News' request for comment on the accusations.Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp declared a state of emergency Thursday in response to ongoing protests in downtown Atlanta relating to Cop City.
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