The Athens Anti-Discrimination Movement (AADM) hosted a panel for the Athens candidates for local political positions to answer questions from the community and discuss their platforms. Ten candidates participated in the event, which was held at the Athens-Clarke County Library on April 17.
The event was split into two panels: the first consisted of the six commissioner candidates and the second panel consisted of the candidates for district attorney and sheriff. The panels were led by Chaplain Cole Knapper, veteran and AADM justice reform chair, and Mokah-Jasmine Johnson, AADM president and co-founder.
Each candidate was asked a series of three questions, which they were given prior to the event to prepare.
Incumbent Deborah Gonzalez and Kalki Yalamanchili represented the candidates for district attorney, and Tommy Dorsey and current Clarke County sheriff John Q. Williams both sat on the panel as candidates for sheriff. The panelists running for the positions of district attorney and sheriff were each given four questions.
Knapper prefaced the panel by stating that they would not be discussing homelessness in Athens but would rather focus on other issues and potential solutions. When asked about the issues they are most passionate about, each candidate discussed a different aspect of Athens society.
When the panel was asking about their solutions to combating gang activity and gun violence in Athens, most of the candidates agreed that gangs are a result of a lack of resources and mentorship for young people.
“Let's look at the root problems: hope lifts, inspires and encourages,” Waters said. “Hopelessness beats and destroys those who, with encouragement, caring and training, can be productive citizens of Athens. We're facing these destructive forces that are intent on robbing our youth of their potential and their hope for a better future.”
Malcolm and Myers pointed out that a significant portion of gang activity is conducted by adults, and is not an issue within the youth demographic only. Therefore, they both suggested implementing more resources to programs that assist adults as well as youths to prevent future gang involvement.
Link discussed focusing on providing a diversity of opportunities, such as through the arts, for youths to find support groups. Link also answered the question about gun violence, advocating for gun regulations and reform of state government gun policies.
All commissioner candidates expressed agreement in the implementation of the Public Safety Civility Board, as it holds law enforcement accountable and instills trust between the citizens and law enforcement officers. They also discussed the importance of independent, third-party oversight.
A local Athenian who had previously applied for the Police Oversight Board, but never heard back, asked the candidates how they would feel about commissioners nominating members of oversight committees from their districts to ensure diversity. Johnson responded stating that she heard of other qualified candidates that were rejected from oversight committees.
Johnson also said that she heard claims from people on the committees that they received personal phone calls from Mayor Kelly Girtz to serve on the committee even though they never applied. This revelation received a shocked and disapproving response from the audience.
During the panel discussion with the district attorney and sheriff candidates, Knapper asked Gonzalez and Yalamanchili about whether or not they support prosecution of low level marijuana vendors. Yalamanchili claimed he would not since the Athens Police Department stopped making arrests for possession of marijuana in 2020 and jail would not be beneficial to those who partake in the usage of drugs.
Gonzalez responded by saying that not prosecuting people for possession of marijuana was one of her major platforms in the past election, however, she is currently being sued for doing just that. Yalamanchili called out Gonzalez for lying, saying that she was actually being sued for violating the rights of victims.
“She herself in cases she has handled within the last several months, has sent out plea offers for people who are indigent, recommending prison time where the most serious offense is possession of drugs,” Yalamanchili said.
Gonzalez and Yalamanchili also discussed their want to reform the criminal justice system and end mass incarceration. Both agreed that to accomplish this goal, they should look to alternative resolutions for non-violent crimes and ensure that cash bails are affordable for those who are not a threat to society.
Knapper asked Dorsey and Williams if they support handcuffing those indicted for non-violent misdemeanors, to which they both responded yes because an arrest can turn violent at any moment. In response to another question, both candidates also agreed that when making an arrest of an undocumented immigrant, they would contact Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
In order to improve staffing in the sheriff’s office as well as jail conditions, Dorsey expressed a desire to increase the wages of those who work in the jail to match that of the police department. He also discussed the importance of transparency about jail conditions with the public.
Williams mentioned how the department has already implemented hiring bonuses and increased wages for those working in the jail. Williams also expressed the importance of community engagement in making changes.
“I need the community's help with vocalizing,” Williams said. “That's what happened. That's how the fire department got what they wanted. That's how the librarians got what they needed. And that's what we're going to need to get where we are.”
