A congratulations is in order for Atlanta councilman Andre Dickens as he was recently announced as the newly elected mayor of Georgia’s capital city.

His win as ATL’s 61st mayor occurred after a late runoff election Tuesday night (Nov 30) against City Council President Felicia Moore.

The decision came down to 64% versus 36% in Dickens’ favor according to WSB-TV, who also reports that his main objective in office will be to reverse Atlanta’s spiking crime rate by increasing the number of police officers, arresting gang leaders and implementing community policing. Following the win, Dickens proudly held a press conference that night to express his gratitude, stating, “Tonight, I’m beyond humbled. I’m beyond humbled that you have even chosen me. You’ve elected me to be the 61st mayor of this great city of Atlanta.

Congratulations, Atlanta Mayor Dickens! Check out his victory speech below via 11 Alive for an in-depth look into how he plans to change the city for the better:

Take a look below at just a bit of what Andre Dickens has planned for The A, via WSB-TV:

“Dickens said before the results were released that crime remains the number one concern among Atlanta residents, but as the new mayor, he will also have to deal with other issues, including potential Buckhead cityhood and infrastructure problems.

‘We voted for progress and a problem solver, for a bridge builder, for transformation,’ Dickens told a crowd of hundreds during his victory speech Tuesday night. ‘And this work will start right now. We can’t wait any longer to address these issues.’”

Moore took her loss with dignity like a true Queen, telling her supporters immediately following the decision, “We all have what the people in the other room who are screaming and celebrating have, and that’s a love for this city.”

Andre Dickens will replace Keisha Lance Bottoms  and looks to help push Atlanta forward over the next political term. Before his time in politics, Dickens was chief development officer for TechBridge, a non-profit that provides technology and workforce training to organizations. He also worked a Georgia Tech.

One of his major initiatives for the city of Atlanta is to fight back hard against crime. His plan called “SAFE Streets Atlanta,” will looks to add 250 police to the Atlanta Police Department in his first year in office. He also plans to target violent gang leaders and create a task force that will tackle gun trafficking.

The addition of more officers will also come with training every APD employee in racial sensitivity and de-escalation technique.

If you want to check out Dickens entire plan for Atlanta click here.

 

SEE ALSO:

Atlanta City Councilwoman Who Backed ‘Cop City’ Loses Re-Election Bid

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